Taking a Mistake and Turning it Positive by Josie
Josieof Topeka's entry into Varsity Tutor's February 2017 scholarship contest
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Taking a Mistake and Turning it Positive by Josie - February 2017 Scholarship Essay
Many times in someones life they will make countless mistakes. Although mistakes are perceived negatively, they do not always have to be this way. Usually, mistakes can be made into a positive experience by taking what happened and learning from it.
Recently, I made a mistake while working at my job, Plato’s Closet. A coworker and I were behind the register performing our regular tasks when a costumer came up and was ready to check out. I scanned his item and told him his total was $6.55. He then handed me a 100 dollar bill. As I was counting out his change he “realized” he had meant to give me a 50 dollar bill. I told him it was okay and I handed him the $100 back. My coworker thought something was odd, so she stepped over to help.
The costumer began to change what bill he wanted to use and what bills he wanted back. We got the receipt and calculator, determined not to mess up. He then said, “How about I will give you 55 cents and you will give me 94 back.” We thought to ourselves, this was right and handed him the money and told him to have a good evening.
A few minutes after he left, we realized what he had just done. He confused us and changed his mind so many times that we forgot he never gave us the initial 100 dollar bill back. We were both upset with ourselves because we knew we made a major mistake. Owning up to our mistake was the honest thing to do; therefore, we called the store owners. Although they were upset, they were not angry with us. They told us it was a learning experience and we would understand how to handle the situation if it were to happen again.
Even though the situation was a mistake we both learned from it and will know what to watch for in the future. Mistakes are unavoidable and everyone will make them in their lives. If you make a mistake, remember nobody is perfect, so take what happened and make the best of the situation so you can grow and learn from it.
