Admitting you don’t know something doesn’t mean you’re failed. It means you know your limits and you’re comfortable working through them.
As a Hispanic young woman growing up I can remember my mom wanting to show me all the things. She taught me how to clean, cook authentic/traditional recipes, sewing, and ironing clothes just right. I remember her reminding me that I needed the best grades in order to get a scholarship because we couldn’t afford college any other way. Before leaving the house to go anywhere, our home had to be spotless. I know her intentions were to prepare me for the adulthood and a family of my own one day. However, it made me feel like everything I did had to be “perfect”. I felt like I had to have all the answers, carry all the weight, and bare all the responsibility. Fast forward to my actual adulthood. Where I was constantly messing up, making mistakes, and dropping out of college. I was a very broken and defensive individual who wouldn’t allot anyone to help me navigate this very painful season of my life. As I reflect back on the last 10years of my life I only wish I would have felt okay to say things like; I need help, I messed up, and I don’t know. I once watched an interview Selma Hayek did where she said “own your mistakes. Don’t allow anyone to take them away from you. Say yes, I messed up and I will make it tight. Because when you own your mistakes, you grow.”
Now that I’m in my early 30’s I can honestly say I have grown comfortable saying things like I’m sorry, I messed up , I don’t know. It may be experience, maturing, or the simple fact that I work in medicine, a field where there are still so many things we do not know. But as I sit here drinking a cup of coffee reflecting on things I want to share with the young women of the world. The first things that come to mind is ITS OKAY TO NOT HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. Whether you’re a business owner, newly married, or a new mom. Hear me when I say, no one has it all figured out. Even in a world where we do have the magic crystal ball that is Google. No one knows everything.
That’s being said as we approach the end of another year and get ready to welcome a new one. I encourage you to get comfortable with your limitations. Admitting you don’t know something doesn’t mean you’re failed. It means you know your limits and you’re comfortable working through them. It’s not a sign of weakness or lack of preparation. It is actually a sign of humility, you’re acknowledging that you genuinely need help. And that’s okay!
