It’s tempting. Very tempting to blame things outside yourself for the misfortune you may have encountered, the situation you are in and your troubles.
If something goes wrong, you blame others or outside forces: politics, bad economy and so on. Why shouldn’t you? We are all human.
Someone I know is out of work but expects others to do things for him, even washing and drying his dishes. He blames everyone around him for his circumstances. Another person has a mental illness and blames her illness for her inaction, sitting around doing nothing all day. It’s like when I’ve hit my thumb with a hammer, I blame the hammer.
Certain people, namely politicians, have made a profession of blaming others, the past and inside and outside forces. One wonders how long they can continue to blame the past (mainly because they’ve done almost nothing about it). But it seems they haven’t sucked out enough yet from the past to use in the present. Everything they touch turns to …. Education, housing, service delivery, electricity, rail transport, the economy. Infrastructure like clinics, social grant buildings, home affairs offices remain the same old buildings that were built in the past. Who’s to blame? The massive failures they have made they blame on people within their institutions.
At some time or other we all play the blame game. But how can we move forward and let go and stop blaming everyone and everything around us?
The only way that the blame game can be stopped is by taking responsibility for what you have done, what has happened to cause you your misfortune and admit your role in your own circumstances. It’s easy to say take responsibility. But in today’s society and homes taking responsibility doesn’t come naturally. Yet, unless responsibility and accountability are taken, people remain stuck.
Taking responsibility is a hard road. It means that you will have to deal with what you have done and admit to yourself where you have fell short, failed or neglected an aspect of your life.
A young man I met the other day said to me that he was sick and tired of people blaming the distant past for the situation that they are presently in. He took responsibility for himself years ago and is now a successful professional who doesn’t have to rely on others like the government, family or strangers. He has moved from the past and established a vision for his future without being mentally shackled by the past. He is creating prosperity for himself and his family.
No one says it’s easy to admit mistakes, own up for inadequacies, take responsibility for your failures. It takes a huge amount of effort to redirect your energies and do the hard work that is required. It’s about letting go of the past, having a vision for your future that will ensure prosperity and greater freedom for you and your family.
Excellent piece! Spot on! Reality is we will always play the blame game!