El poder de cometer errores | Irene Esser | TEDxCaracas

Quick Overview

Irene Esser, Miss Universe 2012, shares her personal journey about overcoming the fear of failure by embracing mistakes as essential learning opportunities, citing her own experience of being told she could never be a telenovela protagonist or surfer due to perceived flaws like having large legs.

Key Points: Esser recounts being told she could never be a telenovela protagonist or a surfer because her legs were too big. She emphasizes that making mistakes is necessary for growth, stating, "We are here to learn." (04:02) Esser attributes her current success, including winning 20 awards and starring in a film, to having the courage to make errors. She references a moment during her Miss Universe experience where she forgot her rehearsed lines but continued by speaking from the heart (07:44). She argues that people self-label with limiting beliefs, such as thinking they are not good enough to achieve their dreams (02:03, 02:29). Esser dedicated her success, including winning the Venezuelan Academy Award for Best Actress, to her mother (06:17, 07:00). The core message is that courage stems from the heart and is essential for creation and growth, urging the audience to pursue what their heart tells them (10:22, 10:59).

Context: This video features Irene Esser, Miss Universe 2012, giving a TEDx talk at TEDxCaracas titled "El poder del hacer" (The Power of Doing). Esser uses personal anecdotes from her life, including her pageant experience and early career struggles in acting, to illustrate the theme that embracing mistakes and cultivating courage—which she defines as deriving from the heart—are crucial for achieving one's potential and living a fulfilling life.

Detailed Analysis

Irene Esser begins by recounting childhood narratives where she was told she could never achieve certain goals, such as becoming a surfer or a telenovela protagonist, often due to perceived physical flaws like having large legs. She notes that people often internalize these external labels, comparing it to looking in a mirror and accepting negative self-definitions. Esser argues that making mistakes is not only acceptable but necessary for learning and growth, stating that courage comes from the heart and fuels creativity. She shares a specific instance during the Miss Universe competition where she forgot her prepared speech but chose to speak authentically from her heart, which she believes was more powerful than reciting lines. She also mentions that her success, including winning 20 awards and an acting award in Venezuela, was built on this foundation of daring to fail. Esser concludes by urging the audience to listen to their hearts and pursue what truly excites them, rather than being held back by societal or self-imposed labels, emphasizing that the courage to act despite fear is what allows one to achieve their best self.