Is it just me, or does blame seem to be all the rage these days?
In just the last forty-eight hours… while minding my own business (literally), I have (unintentionally) heard a veritable complaint-fest, laden with excuses about why people can’t have what they want to have, do what they want to do, or be what they want to be.
And the reasons? Well, certainly… it’s someone else’s fault.
You see, when we refuse to control the things we can… while at the same time struggling to control the things we can’t… blame becomes a sort of “loser’s limp”… a reason to justify giving up. After all, the saying goes… you can’t fight City Hall.
The good news, of course… is that we seldom need to. The bad news… is that the fight is usually with ourselves.
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So, here’s the thing… since we can’t control the economy… many will put their blame there… an easy out for those who wish to take it. Or the Fed… oh yeah, try having your own personal impact on the nations money supply!
It’s another good out… if you want to get nowhere.
Or how about these… this week alone, I’ve heard otherwise rational adults blame their boss… the government… their mom… their spouse… home prices… coworkers… their dog… and their 401k balance (or missing balance) for their lack of joy.
The common denominator for all of these is that neither you or I can control any of them. On the other hand, we can control our time, and our attitude, and we have the ability to make decisions for better or worse.
So if we don’t like what we’re doing, we have the freedom to do something else. Don’t like where we’re living? We have the freedom to move. We also have the freedom to learn, to grow… to get educated. We have the freedom to get a 2nd or 3rd job… or… resign them all and launch out on our own. We have the freedom to succeed… and just as importantly… to fail.
And we have the freedom to complain… to blame… which effectively neutralizes all our other freedoms.
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The truth is… right this very minute, we are where our thoughts, actions and decisions of the last thirty-six months have led us. That’s right… and today’s decisions and actions are right now forming the foundation of our life as it will be in two or three years.
This is where blame becomes very dangerous. A victim mentality almost always brings action to a screeching halt… after all, why bother if we are not able to control our life… if we are not responsible for what happens next. So here’s the caution… if you don’t like where your headed now… doing nothing is a poor strategy.
Only the individual who gladly accepts responsibility for their success (or failure) will be willing to make the tough calls… take the appropriate risks… and do whatever is necessary today… to live the life they want down the road.
Yes, your future is in your hands… and therein lies the good news, or the bad.
Questions:
What one decision can you make this week… that will positively impact your family in twenty-four to thirty-six months?
What is your plan to stay on track for that period of time?
I look forward to hearing from you.
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