Answering Questions Under Pressure
I just finished watching our Ms. Teen South Carolina being interviewed on NBC’s Today Show. Not sure how many of you knew she was the third runner up for that Ms. Teen USA competition recently or not. It seems it’s of little importance right now. Usually Ms. Teen USA would be fortunate to be interviewed on national television.Â
So, you ask, why would ours be interviewed as a third runner up? It seems she just royally messed up on the question she answered during the competition. I watched the playback, and I agree. She didn’t do a good job at all on the response.
So instead of retreating in embarrassment for making a big mistake, she was invited to go to New York and explain – AND to have a chance to give the answer she most likely would have given if she weren’t under so much pressure. She did a great job the second time around. At 18 I’m not sure I would have been able to give a good answer if given several changes!I loved the way she embraced her simple mistake and chalked it up as one more step in her venture to become a responsible young adult.
My wish for you today is that you take those small (and possibly big) mistakes and learn from them as you move along in life. You may have to pay the price for mistakes, but owning up to them and making the best of them will make you a real winner…whether you come in first or not.
~ Joellen