Life Doesn’t Always Feel Very Fair, Does It?
There are continuously things going on that we have very little control of. We can’t control the weather, other people’s choices and actions, what situation we are born into, what’s going on in the economy, what our DNA provides us in the way of strengths and weaknesses, and the list goes on seemingly endlessly.
But we can control ONE thing always: What we CHOOSE to do about it.
We always have choice. It may not always feel like it, but we do. Certainly, many times we are in scenarios where the alternate choice we might make appears as if it will bring greater challenge than we currently might be experiencing, but we have to become wise enough to separate out the temporary short-term repercussion of life from the long-term implications.
In the short run its easier to make an excuse and blame someone or something, than it is to choose to make the uncomfortable change. I say “in the short run” because it is infinitely HARDER in the long run to live with the CHOICE of making an excuse or blaming, as opposed to taking action, as then we have the struggle of dealing continuously with something that we don’t like and the ultimate regret of not doing something different when our older and wiser self looks back.
So What Is The Moment That Turns Your Life Around?
The day we accept full responsibility for our choices in life and the corresponding results. I know this intimately because I am a living example.
As a young person I was a master at blaming. Blaming is an avoidance of responsibility. It’s a next level of EXCUSE. I blamed everything and everyone for everything that happened in my life. I even blamed the things in myself and personality that I deemed as unfair to have to deal with as the reason I couldn’t do better.
I had an excuse for everything. It was everyone else’s fault. And it was the world conspiring against me. There were many events (I call this “life happening”) which also derailed things I was trying to do. Looking back, it’s easy to see that they didn’t derail me. I derailed me. They were just the course of life. They were part of the journey had I chose to go forward anyway. But I didn’t go forward. I stopped and made the excuse that “things just don’t work out for me.” Of course they didn’t work out. I made excuses and quit when things seemed unfairly difficult.
We Cannot Control Many Things, But We Can Always Control What We Choose to Do About it.
Once I stopped making excuses and accepted full responsibility for how my life turns out in all aspects, that was when my life started to change for the better.
It didn’t get easier. It never gets easier in my opinion. It just became different. I began looking at everything as a learning experience. I began recognizing that the struggles and twists and turns were the true journey. Not the reasons I could not accomplish something.
I realized that it’s up to me to forge the life I want THROUGH whatever that takes, not to roll over and lay in my tears lamenting how hard life is.
The day you understand that pretty much everyone has hard stuff to deal with, pretty much everyone has good stuff and not so good stuff within them, pretty much everyone has to persist through difficulty as the way to go higher in life, and that accepting FULL responsibility is the road to creating the life you want, is the day it all shifts.
You want to be healthy? Accept responsibility and do what you have to do.
You want a better relationship? Do what needs to be done.
You want to make more money? Get busy.
You want to do something that’s been on your heart to do? Find a way.
You don’t like ANY result? Do something.
Here is something you can plug anything into and it will help you:
People that _______ Don’t make excuses. And people that make excuses don’t _____.
It’s no one else’s fault that you and I are where we are. We are a result of our choices ultimately.
Choose responsibility for self and get going. It won’t be any easier day by day…but it will be way better in the long run and eventually you will be pushing through the hard things at an entirely new level of life.
If you need some Coaching, or Training for your organization, reach out to me.
Many Blessings, Todd
P.S. If you would like a roadmap for living your best life, or what I refer to as your “richest life possible” check out 3 Circles Living.
