All Jokes Aside: Life’s Lessons You Should Learn From Steve Harvey

InspirationFebruary 6, 2018

Who wouldn’t know this guy? Known as a seasoned television host, comedian, actor, producer, author, and a radio personality, Steve Harvey became even more popular when he hosted the Miss Universe 2015 pageant in Las Vegas and mistakenly named the first runner-up, Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutiérrez, as the winner instead of Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach.

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Though that incident went viral and made him more controversial, he was again given a chance to host the recently concluded Miss Universe 2016, held on January 30, 2017 at the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, wanting to personally apologize to the Filipinos for the “honest to goodness” mistake he had in the previous Miss Universe pageant.

Seeing Harvey on stage with the 86 beautiful and smart candidates all over the world gave everyone the not-so-ordinary feels in every prestigious event like this, especially when he welcomed the lovely girls and most importantly, Pia Wurtzbach. Demonstrating the host’s humility and a good sense of humor, he again won the hearts of many people across the globe.

With all those things that occurred, it’s perhaps timely to put some life’s lessons together especially those that came straight from a man on fire, Steve Harvey, who’s also taking full advantage of his status as one of the most influential personalities in media today.

Don’t pretend to be someone else.

Being yourself doesn’t only make you happy but also define who you really are. According to Harvey, one of the essential ingredients to building a powerful brand is being true to who you really are. And for one, Harvey gets to live with just being who he knows to be an over the decades, he’s proud to say that it has served him well. Perhaps, it’s one of the things that have helped him create a unique brand for himself in an incredibly competitive industry.

As they say, pretending to be someone else can result in two negative things – you attract people you don’t like and you cannot attract people you would rather be around.

Be humble and appreciative.

Having these core values of meekness and gratitude can really take you a long way on your chosen journey. Though it really takes a lot to be immensely thankful but remains that humble perspective, you should know that being grateful and appreciative brings all factors into the realm of a transformation of hopeful expectations into potential realities and results, especially if it’s coupled with noble thoughts, diligent, precise and responsible actions.

Learn from your mistakes.

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It’s really easy for some of us to criticize people whenever they commit mistakes. However, that isn’t really the right thing to do as we all seem to commit mistakes. What matters the most is that we become wiser for learning from our own mistakes and most importantly, be mature enough to face the consequences and do something to make it right. Remember that those “Oops moments” can create teachable life’s lessons so it’s actually a matter of how you can use them to your own advantage.

Don’t be afraid to own your missteps.

Slip-ups, though inevitable, should come with great responsibility.To err is human but when you do, you shouldn’t fear to be accountable for your actions and the corresponding consequences. Doing so lets you show off your character and humility, not to mention it can also humanize you.

“Admit itas quickly as possible, explain it, and apologize if it impacted others,” Harvey said when asked how one can go over his own mistake. In his case, remember he took full responsibility for the ‘incorrect announcement of Miss Universe 2015 winner’ as soon as he realized he made a mistake. Owning your mistake doesn’t only exhibit self-accountability but also build trust with others.

Find practical solutions.

As embarrassing as it may have been, you should find immediate remedies and alternatives to deal with your mistake right away. Once the damage is done, apologize, take a course of action to remedy the situation, seek possible options to fix the problem, and learn from it. You’ll be more cautious in the future.It’s basically making the right decision, especially when under extreme pressure or when all eyes are on you.

Well-said! Thank you, Steve, for your wit, wisdom, and humility.