Steve Harvey was not a name that a lot of people knew before today. In fact, I don’t think this many people have ever remembered the name of a pageant host ever. As famous as Harvey is right now, I’m not so sure if he or anyone else around thinks that’s a good thing.
When Steve said the words “I have to apologize” right after announcing that Miss Colombia was Miss Universe 2015, people knew his career as a host/comedian would never be the same again.
And as painfully hilarious (Sorry, Harvey!) or even a little frustrating Steve’s small mistake was, there are some vital lessons we can learn from his blunder. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned from this, and many other situations.
1. Small mistakes may sometimes have big impact
A simple honest mistake in reading cue cards- who would have thought that it would turn into a nightmare? This reminds us to be careful and always be on our guard. The devil is in the details, as they say. That small little area you forgot to check could easily be the destruction of all you’ve worked for.
2. Everyone makes mistakes
Steve Harvey was chosen as the host for Miss Universe for a reason- because he’s the best! One can only imagine the years of experience he has hadBut even the best hosts are far from perfect.
3. There’s no escaping the consequence of our mistakes
An apology is not a way out of our mistakes, but I do believe that it makes bearing consequences more bearable. When we admit our own mistakes, we admit that the consequence is ours to deal with as well.
4. Passing the blame does no good
How many times have you heard a work colleague, boss, classmate, spouse or sibling pass the blame to make things easier for him or her? Truth be told, there is no benefit in passing the blame. It’s often thought that it saves our necks, but our failures will catch up to us sooner or later.
5. It’s not always okay to make mistakes
The saying, “It’s okay to make mistakes,” is not always accurate. When you make mistakes that you’ve committed before or that you’ve been warned of prior to choosing your actions, then it’s not okay to make those mistakes anymore.
6. Mistakes can define us just the way success would
Your failures can define your character just as much as your success would, but that’s not always a bad thing! One of the benefits that mistakes give is the lessons that come with it, which mould us to become better. Allow your failures to define you in a way that can make you grow.
7. Imperfect people still need redemption
Humans are organisms of perfection, meaning we chase after it. That’s because we need perfection. We need perfect schedules, perfect food quality, perfect business models. The sad thing is, we can never get that kind of perfection from people. However, the good news is we can depend on the perfection of that is in God. In our weakness, He is made perfect.