Disturbingly, the assumption of personal responsibility is more and more infrequent in our society. An external locus of control–the extent to which we believe we affect the world around us— has been destigmatized , if not encouraged, as a valid orientation in our world today. It’s much easier to blame an outside force for the shortcomings and disappointments in your life.
Acknowledging our faults and accepting blame for our lives is uncomfortable and detrimental to our egos, but it is absolutely necessary for habitual excellence.
Here’s an assignment:
Recall three of the last times you felt that you were mistreated or taken advantage of. Identify how you contributed to your negative experience. Did you do or say something you shouldn’t have? Were you too passive and unwilling to be your own biggest advocate?
Determine how you could have created a more positive outcome. What specific changes to your actions/words/thoughts could you have made?
The preceding exercise is fantastic practice for altering the way you approach the challenges you will undoubtedly encounter in your everyday life. Complete and total assumption of responsibility in your life is only way to sculpt your daily interactions and relationships as you see fit. Your attitudes, your behaviors, even your thoughts, determine the consequences you will face. Be it inadvertent or intended, you play a major role in the way your experiences unfold. The sooner you assume responsibility for your own daily experiences, the better off you’ll be.