I delivered a speech a while ago titled Ain’t My Fault. I felt compelled to do it after reading countless articles on the disturbing trend of people blaming others for their mistakes.
What’s worse is that this victimhood trend extends to people blaming everyone and everything for the state of their life. It’s easy to take credit for success; mistakes not so much.
Conventional explanations for this trend are
- The middle class is struggling to make ends meet and wants a quick payout.
- Being civil to each other is on the decrease. We are becoming more self-absorbed and find it easier to take advantage of each other.
- It’s easy to get away with things – things we know are wrong.
Regardless the actual origin(s), the effects are varied, profound and disheartening. I long for a time when every person looks in the mirror and says to themselves
- This is who I am, what I stand for and believe in
- I stand for integrity, honesty, and truthfulness
- My actions reflect those values, and I’m proud of who I’ve become
Why is it critical to accept responsibility for your mistakes and shortcomings?
When you accept responsibility, you get a chance to learn the lesson that situation offered you.
Growth as a person requires learning those lessons; blaming others isolates us from the lesson.
Besides, life lessons are so persistent that if you don’t learn them the first time they appear in your life, they will keep reappearing until you do!
You may as well have the courage to say
- What happened is my mistake; I accept it and the consequences.
- What is the lesson I need to learn? OK, got it.
- I will learn it, move past it, and become a better person.
When the next lesson comes, repeat that sequence. One of the keys to lifelong success is learning the lessons life presents us, and moving on to the next lesson!
When you accept responsibility for your actions, the rest of us will benefit, and we thank you in advance. Far greater than that is the fact that YOU will benefit.
If accepting responsibility is already your habit, Congratulations! If not, now’s your chance to position yourself for increased success.
Have faith! You have everything you need to learn life’s lessons within yourself.
That’s my perspective, what’s yours? Leave us a comment or question below this post, and don’t miss the video on this topic on YouTube!
P.S. In Two Weeks: Do You Have A Strong Network Connection?
I like this one – it reminded me that I always want to be true to my own values and that it is too easy to blame others for my mistakes. Keep on guiding us to excellence!!
Thanks Gail, I love your using the word ‘excellence.’ It’s a word that historically drove people’s actions in business and personal life more than it does today. I’m excited to do my part to encourage us to move back in that direction.