COMMON MISTAKES AND WHAT THEY SECRETLY REVEAL ABOUT YOU!

Please tell me I'm not alone.

MISTAKE: Sending an email, then immediately remembering the one crucial thing you forgot to include.
WHAT IT REVEALS: You are human. You are fallible. You are forever doomed to send follow-up emails that begin with “Oops! One more thing…”

MISTAKE: Waving at someone who was, in fact, waving at the person behind you.
WHAT IT REVEALS: You are willing to take social risks. You believe in connection. You are an optimist, even when that optimism leads to crushing, irreversible embarrassment.

MISTAKE: Walking into a room and immediately forgetting why you are there.
WHAT IT REVEALS: You exist in multiple dimensions at once. Your body has entered the room, but your mind is still in the past, the future, and a parallel timeline where you remembered what you came in for. You are living proof that time is an illusion.

MISTAKE: Texting “Sounds good!” when it, in fact, does not sound good.
WHAT IT REVEALS: You are a diplomat. A peacekeeper. A person who has agreed to far too many Zoom calls.

MISTAKE: Cooking something without looking at a recipe.
WHAT IT REVEALS: You are an innovator. A rule-breaker. A dreamer. A person currently eating an undercooked potato and pretending it is fine.

MISTAKE: Clicking “Remind Me Tomorrow” on a software update every day for six consecutive months.
WHAT IT REVEALS: You are committed to routine. You fear change. You would rather endure minor inconveniences forever than take 90 seconds to address the root of the problem.

MISTAKE: Responding “You too!” when the airline ticket agent says, “Enjoy your flight.”
WHAT IT REVEALS: You live on autopilot. You are guided by pure reflex. You are moments away from saying “Love you” to a cashier.

MISTAKE: Touching a hot pan even though you knew it was hot.
WHAT IT REVEALS: You are driven by curiosity. You believe in firsthand experience. You are undeterred by so-called “lessons” of the past.

MISTAKE: Replying to a text in your head but never actually sending it.
WHAT IT REVEALS: You have mastered thought-based communication. Unfortunately, the rest of the world has not.

MISTAKE: Not attending We Hope You Fail Better, the groundbreaking art exhibit about failure.
WHAT IT REVEALS: You fear your own potential! You shy away from greatness! You hate art. What’s next? Ignoring puppies? Booing the moon? Saying “no thanks” to joy itself?

I made a short video so you can see a little peek at the exhibit!

BUT if you want the full experience, you should go see it in person.

1. I’ll be sharing more photos and some behind-the-scenes of the art show over on my Instagram! See and share here.

2. Did you find a typo in our newest book? Was it on purpose? We’ll never tell.

3. Ever failed in a way that defied basic logic? Please share in the comments below.

p.s. I am writing this to you from a hotel in Alabama. Had the joy of visiting students today in Columbus, Georgia, and I am on my way home. Thank you to *everyone* who supports my work, whether by inviting me to speak, being a paid subscriber, or sharing these emails with the rest of the internet. I could not do any of this without you.