Take 100% Responsibility For Your Life
Stop being a complaining punk. You know damn well your mommy and daddy aren’t the cause of your failures right now. The Government has nothing to do with you being overtaxed and poor. Listen, no one owes you a goddamn thing and when you realize that the traffic didn’t make you late or that your excuses won’t make you great — then you will begin taking back control.
I used to be the same way. Every time I missed a target, got a different result from what was desired, or hit a bump in the road — I looked around for the nearest thing or person to blame. It got so bad that I succumbed to this victim mentality of excuses and sob stories.
One day on my ride from Philly to Jersey I popped in the audiobook, “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield and got blown away.
I listened as Jack claimed that we are only victims of our excuses and we lessen our power and strength when we continue to live a victimized lifestyle. We blame our friends, family, coworkers, boss, partners, our community, where we grew up, our school, our government and even our pets. We look for everything that is external of the true problem, which is ourselves.
It hit me like a ton of brings, like 1000 Ralph Waldo Emerson books closing at the same time, like boxing with Mike Tyson. I was floored and within that second I was alive. I regained control back. I demanded from that point that I will never blame, complain or make excuses again. That is why every time I am not living and working to my potential, I take a step back and reflect what I could have done to make it better.
Things you can do right now to start taking 100% responsibility for your life!
First thing you can do is assess all situations you come across whose outcome is opposite from what you wanted. Assess and ask questions? Make yourself be the focal point of this internal discussion. For example:
The old you: I am in the same place I was last year. My boss looked me over on that big promotion so there’s nothing I can do to get out of this rut. I feel like everything bad happens to me.
The new you: I didn’t get the job I wanted. Is there anything I could have done differently to have gotten this job? Could I have set goals with my manager or stated my interest in moving up with the company? Could I have taken a couple courses on a subject that would have presented better in the interview? Are there any positives such as maybe there is a better position waiting for me?
One question that always works is: What can I do differently next time this situation presents itself (and oh boy it will)
When you start thinking negatively stop yourself and assess and ask.
Life is made up of a series of choices and decisions that YOU made, no one else. You chose your parents (we will expand on this at a later time), you chose what school you wanted, and you wanted the dog.
Choice is power. You have to then live with the consequence of that choice. Your decisions are yours. Own them. Accept them. Take 100% responsibility for them.
You become more powerful when you control your life through thoughts and actions. You can actually start right now. You may do this by stating this truth and believe it to be true
“I take 100% Responsibility for my life”
Remain uncomfortable,
