I recently made a mistake in my professional career. It was not something major just more like a clerical error which caused some difficulty.

I realized through making this mistake that I could have made many more mistakes as a result of the first mistake.

I could have beaten myself up for this mistake because I knew it was something I should have done but I had just neglected it because I got too busy. I realized the mistake had a great probability of having something to do with the way my ADHD brain works. In talking with a friend and coworker of mine I told her that I was not going to beat myself up anymore because of the way I think. Yes, I don’t remember where I leave my keys or my cell phone some days but I also have a brilliant IQ and I process information much quicker than most people can. So if I accept the blessings of an ADHD brain should I not also be grateful for the curses of it?

The second mistake I considered making was lying about it. The mistake had to do with something that should have been sent off in the mail during the month of December but I didn’t not remember to send it off until January 2nd. Well, I could have said that it had gotten lost in all of the holiday mail couldn’t I? Problem with that was that I knew exactly when I sent it off and it was after the holidays, not during the holidays. So I didn’t lie about it.

When I called my regulatory body to ask if they could make an exception they had no mercy. In the past I may have resorted to a bit of profanity but I have learned that profanity is the sign of a weak mind trying to make a strong point and I think I am better than that. I stated my case in proper English and still got nowhere but I retained respect for and from the person I talked with.

The other problem was that this mistake affected my company. Until this mistake got resolved I was forbidden to work. I didn’t have to tell them though. They would find out eventually from the regulatory body which regulates my profession. I didn’t want to give the impression that I was dishonest though so I called them as soon as I found out about this. I had never done this before but the lady I talked to at the corporate office was very kind and understanding and said that she too had made the same mistake one year.

I made one mistake and was tempted to lie in so many different ways I lost count. Somehow lying didn’t seem like a suitable option because I knew dang well that the honest thing would be to admit my mistake and suffer the consequences. As it turned out I have a bit of time off of work and I miss my patients and my coworkers but I can sleep well at night because I know it was only one mistake when it could have been so many more.