Dad's Advice

Every Friday night I spend at least two hours on the phone with my mom and dad. We talk about everything that happened the past week. My parents share tidbits about what’s up with family and friends in Manila and what's going on in their lives. I talk about upcoming weekend plans and what's new on my end too. It’s our chance to catch up and reconnect. I look forward to these conversations since it’s also my week-end detoxification session where I unwind from the stress of my busy week and gripe about my work angst. These conversations are actually very therapeutic for me and my week is never complete without that phone call. Talking to them allows me to talk to two people who are never-ending in their support and encouragement for me. But believe me when I tell you, it’s definitely not all fluff and ego-boosting either. Since it’s a conversation with two people who know me inside out, our talks are peppered with good advice and doses of constructive criticism when needed.

Last Friday was no different, while I was moaning about not being able to do my best on a project I was working on, my dad shared with me this piece of advice. He said “it’s okay to make a mistake. We all make mistakes. What’s bad is making the same mistake twice”. He even shared with me that sometimes he tells his own employees to go ahead and “make a mistake” since as humans that’s what we do. No one is perfect and we all have to make mistakes some time. But, in the end, we should learn from that mistake and grow from that experience. What is sad and downright stupid is actually making the same mistake over and over again. The more I think about what he said – the more I agree and think that his advice is so simple yet so profoundly true – and in my case, right on the money.