August
21
What is that? That is my new car’s first little accident. If you notice it is a paint smudge from where I hit my passenger side mirror on the garage last night as I was pulling in.
Sure I could blame the garage for being so small. Sure I could pretend it didn’t happen or spend my day dwelling on the incident but I learned a long time ago that wasn’t going to help. I know I am just clumsy.
I do not wear ties because all they do is collect the food I drop at lunch so they become a badge of what was on the menu that day. Justin always gives me extra napkins when we eat because he knows some food will just not make it to my mouth during dinner. My macbook has a small little crack spot where it fell when I placed it just for a second on a shaking surface so I could adjust the music volume I was listening to.
I must own that I am clumsy and I know exactly why. It is has nothing to do with bad luck. It all has to do with me being careless and not paying attention. I know I am the only one to blame for these accounts.
Now it comes down to how important is it to me. Yes I wish I didn’t hit my mirror but I did. Now I have to make an effort to pay attention more to the things I care about. I know this won’t be the last time it happens but I can at least be more mindful when they do.
What is something in your life that you could change if you just took the time to think about the cause?
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Brad
on 21 Aug 2008 at 10:41 am #
Michael,
I am really glad to see you take responsibility for your actions.
I have a friend and during our conversations he can’t seem to admit anything is his fault.
He managed to take a hot pan and set it on his counter top leaving a burn mark. Of course he blamed his new puppy for it, because if he wasn’t distracted by the dog he wouldn’t have placed the hot pan on the counter.
Also he was smoking in his apartment (which is against the rules) he managed to burn his carpet. Again he refuses to take any personal responsibility for his actions. If he wasn’t breaking the rules then he wouldn’t have burned a hole in his carpet. I cannot remember what excuse he used when he burned the carpet but it wasn’t his fault.
I am of the opinion that you have to own your mistakes and stop blaming others for your actions.
Thanks for keeping it real!
-Brad
PS- if you say you are clumsy, are you talking that into your reality? If you say you are coordinated, would that become your reality? Just curious.
Michael
on 21 Aug 2008 at 10:53 am #
Brad,
You always have great insights to share!
It is hard when we blame others. We can not take control of our lives if we believe others are the fault for it. Hopefully in time, your friend will start seeing what he can do to take control of his life.
I agree with you. What you saw can be bought into reality.
Calling myself clumsy gives me the excuse to make mistakes instead of taking action to work on improving my attention. One step at a time…
JakeyBoyX
on 21 Aug 2008 at 5:11 pm #
I have a belief that “anything that happens in your life, you are partly responsible for”. A lot of it, ie other’s actions, you may find near impossible to prevent or change (and I’m not saying you should) – but still you’re responsible for how it affects your life.
But one thing I try not to apportion is ‘blame’ because…well..what’s the use?
I do not like my job. I love my team and hate my job. What can I do? Not hate it. I can choose not to hate it. However this is something I’m working on, because maybe I feel okay hating my job, knowing I’ll search for another. If I made a conscious choice to go into work tomorrow and LOVE my job. I could. But I dont want to.
It really is all about choice. It may not be obvious, it may not be easy, but it’s there.
Have a fabulous Friday when it hits in a few hours, and hope you had a thrilling Thursday!
JbX