Ban the Blame

“Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.”   ~ Erica Jong

“The dog ate my homework.” Teachers hear that one every week. “Jimmy made me do it!” Parents hear that one often, too. Fast-forward a few years to the college student with bad grades, and you hear, “The professor doesn’t like me.” Then, before we know it, we’re all grown up. Now we hear, “My manager didn’t give me enough time to complete the project,” and, “She doesn’t understand me,” or, “The customer wasn’t honest with me, so I couldn’t close the sale.”

Where do these fabrications of blame originate? They probably begin in our childhood imagination – and that’s also where they should stop. Blaming comes easy since we tend to do it when the person blamed isn’t around. Who’s going to dispute our blame claim?

Take a moment to re-read the first part of today’s quote: “Take your life in your own hands . . .” What a breath of fresh air emerges from that phrase. By accepting responsibility for our life and all its actions, we no longer need to alienate those around us by blaming. We can live a no-excuses life.

We either accept the low classroom grade without complaint – after all, we earned it – or we change our approach to homework the next time. We simply allot enough time to complete our manager’s special project on deadline, or be willing to be employed at a lower level on the food chain. We invest ourselves more deeply in our personal relationships, or accept a less-than-fulfilling bond with those we love.

As quoted before, “All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.” If you’re tired of perpetually being on the defensive, ban blame from your life – forever. It’s a wonderful way to live stress-free!