Many people rarely, if ever, ask this critical question. Instead, they automatically assume that any problem they are having must be someone else’s fault. If there is a disagreement or argument, it’s the other person’s fault. If something went wrong, someone else made a mistake.
It simply never occurs to many people that something is their fault. Or, at the very least, that they may be partly responsible. On the surface, it might seem nice to believe that you’re never to blame. The problem, however, with this “never blame me” philosophy is that you’ll rarely be able to pinpoint the one aspect of problem solving that is truly solvable: your own contribution. Once you eliminate the fear associated with admitting that you are, at times, responsible for the parts of your life that aren’t working – minor annoyances and larger problems – you open a whole new door of possibilities.
Once you’re willing to accept responsibility for the problems in your life, you will see obvious solutions that take very minor adjustments to change.
Obviously, I’m not suggesting that everything is your fault, or that you should spend an exorbitant amount of time and energy thinking about your faults and drawbacks. To do so would be a different type of negative habit. It’s critical, however, that you’re honest about your contribution to your problems. Don’t bury your head in the sand. If you truly want to excel in your life, you must be willing to look in the mirror and, with humility and honesty, reflect on your contributions to what’s not going right in your life. That way, you can do something about it.
- A Post by 'One of those who is learning to ask himself that question.'
