The Two Most Important Facts You Will Ever Learn
By Jim Lockwood on Mar 10, 2008 in Featured, Goals, Learn
To understand where you are in life, how you got here, and where you’re going, you need to understand two very important facts. No matter what is happening in your life, whether all is going well or the demons of hell have taken residence in your home, you made it happen.
1. No one is more responsible for the current state of my life than me. The economy is not to blame. My boss didn’t create this situation. It wasn’t just good luck or bad luck. I don’t owe my neighbor the credit. I can’t blame George Bush. Regardless of how good or bad life is, I am the primary reason the way things are.
2. If things are going to change, it’s dependent on the action I take. If life takes a turn for the worse, it’s the result of something I did (or didn’t do). Likewise, if my life is to improve, it’s going to require action on my part. I am the captain of my ship.
I know, some of you want to ask a question like, “What if I’ve been in a terrible car crash and now I can’t walk.” What do you want me to say? Life sucks. You got a raw deal. There’s nothing you can do? Okay, life sucks and you got a raw deal, BUT there is so much that you can do!
Sure, you can spend the rest of your life blaming the driver of that car, or the boss that fired you, or the wife that left you. If you choose to give them that much power, it’s your choice. But no matter what…you HAVE a choice! You can choose to blame…or you can choose to live.
I choose not to give that much power to anyone in my life. My life is my design. My actions determine my successes AND my failures. Too often we want to find someone to blame for not getting the job or losing the business deal. We believe that prejudice, ignorance or some other factor, outside of our control, is responsible for where we are. We give control to others. But to blame others is to believe that what we do means nothing.
Start living your life by these two facts, and watch the difference it makes. Look at your situation and examine what you did to get there. Did you work hard? Were you purposeful in the actions you took? Did you put first things first? And most importantly, where are you headed and what actions will get you there?
[PhotoCredit:FábioPinheiro]
Keith Johnson | Mar 28, 2008 | Reply
Hello Jim: Very nice article, and indeed we are all responsible for our lives. It is comforting to think that we can depend on others, but this should be a secondary comfort, like a sweater in the cold. The sooner we awaken to the potential within us to take care of all aspects of our lives, the better off we will be for sure. Nice article! All The Best, Keith Johnson, Author “365 Great Affirmations”.
Jim Lockwood | Mar 28, 2008 | Reply
Thanks Keith. Yes, the support and assistance of others is conforting…but not nearly as dependable as our own effort to improve our lives. The key is to FIRST take responsibility for our own destiny…then to help others in their journey. Sorta like the airline instructions to put the oxygen mask on yourself before helping others. We can not help others if we are struggling to get our own lives together.