“Don’t be miserable! Do not repent! What is done is done. If you burn yourself [take the responsibility]… We make mistakes, what of that?” — Swami Vivekananda
When the COVID vaccine became available, I was scampering to get slots for my family members. For weeks, I sat in front of the laptop, refreshing the portal. But all I got was, “No Slot Available”.
One day, I spoke to a friend who said his wife and he had got their vaccine shots about a week earlier. I was stunned. “How did you get it?” I asked. “I’ve been struggling to get even one slot.”
“Oh, there are Telegram groups that post messages when slots open up,” he said. “Plus, a few centers declare open slots at specific times each week. You could check them out.”
My first reaction to his words were, “I’m such a loser!” People were getting vaccination shots. And here I was, who knew nothing about the Telegram groups, and was not able to do anything for my family.
But within a few minutes, my mind said, “Vishal, you have two options. One, wallow in this self-pity. Two, now that you know a possible solution, work on it.” I joined the groups and also got ready to play fastest-finger first on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 PM. That was when Apollo Hospital opened up its slots.
The first time I tried, the slots filled out before I could get any. But just seeing open slots gave me hope. No luck the second time either. The third time, I got a slot for a family member. And a few days later, another slot for myself.
Mission accomplished!
When you make a mistake, it’s natural to feel bad. “I’m good for nothing,” or, “Why can’t people see the good things I’ve done?” But none of those thoughts help. What helps is to learn from the mistake, find the next step, and take it.
This applies to when people doubt you for no fault of yours as well. Maybe you didn’t make a mistake but people thought you did. Maybe you were warning others about something, but they didn’t heed it. And when it happened, they blamed you for it.
It doesn’t matter. Lower your words, raise your actions. Continue to work with diligence and let your actions prove your worth.
When MS Dhoni was falsely accused of match-fixing in 2013, what did he do? He led India to win the ICC Champion’s Trophy.
What do you want people to remember you for? The mistakes you make, the doubts they have about you? Or how you learn from mistakes and respond?
Dig deep. Find the courage and resilience inside you, and prove your worth—to yourself first, and then to the world.