We cannot fathom having no excuses.
It’s what separates us from rest of the animal kingdom. Human beings possess the unique ability to pick up their blame throwers and abdicate responsibility for their work.
But in nature, it’s much different. Beavers and squirrels rarely surrender accountability for their actions. Because they’re not professional victims. They just do the work building dams and collecting nuts or whatever else woodland creatures do all day.
I recently caught myself trying to justify work that wasn’t as good as could have been. My entire body started sweating as I began scrolling through my rolodex of excuses, hoping to find a good enough reason why the execution fell short.
And in that moment, something occurred to me.
The stress of avoiding the pain of owning my reality isn’t worth it. Reminding everybody of all the factors that were out of my control isn’t helping.
Taking extreme ownership of my world is much faster, healthier and more productive.
Ziglar use to say that when you point the finger of blame at someone else, there are three times as many fingers pointing right back at you. Hokey but true.
Instead of shrinking back from the implied responsibilities of our lives, we must relentlessly work to avoid opportunities to use our ability to blame.
Because everyone has a perfect excuse.
There’s a great question my mentor taught me years ago. Anytime you’re thinking about picking up your blame thrower, ask yourself.
Is there anyone else who has had the same excuse as me but is moving ahead successfully nonetheless?
There usually is. And that’s often enough to put ourselves on the hook and take extreme ownership of our world.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are you not doing in your life that you could be doing that you are blaming somebody else for not doing for you?
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Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.
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