Live without excuses
3 October 2007So often, we focus all of our attention on the obstacles that lay before us. Why? Because it’s easier to accept that you can’t obtain our goals if it is due to circumstances beyond our control. It’s someone else’s fault. Here are some real examples I’ve heard recently:
- I won’t ever leave this small town because in order to do that, I’d have to get a good job. In order to get a good job, I’d have to go to school, and I can’t work and go to school at the same time, so I guess I’ll just stay in this town.
- I can’t ever get custody of my daughter because the mother will hire expensive lawyers.
- I can’t go do this new job because I might screw up, and then that would let my friend down.
- We can’t leave this small town because the rents are too expensive in other parts of California.
Sometimes, the excuses are noble.
- I can’t leave this small town for a better life because my sister needs me to take care of her kids.
- I can’t travel right now because I have to take care of my mom.
What "I can’t" really means is:
"Rather than pro-actively dealing with the obstacle, I am choosing to place the blame on something else so that I don’t have to deal with it. I’d also like you to feel sorry for me, can you lather on the pity please?"
If a 5′3″ man can be in the NBA, and a one-armed man can be in the MLB, and if a high school dropout can work at Yahoo!, then there is no such thing as an excuse, there are choices that we make, and positions we put ourselves in. In the end, it’s our responsibility; we choose our path through life
You are where you are in life because of the choices you’ve made.
I have accepted complete responsibility for my life. If anything good happens to me, I made it happen. If anything bad happens to me, I shouldn’t have put myself in that position.
Once you accept this level of responsibility for your life, it’s tremendously empowering, it will makes you want to flex your universe.
