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Sometimes I really want to shake people who always find an excuse as to why they can’t do something. It can get annoying.
Yes there are situations and circumstances beyond our control that make life hard. No one will ever take away someone’s struggle to do better, especially when it seems the cards are stacked against you. While all of these variables ring true, that doesn’t give anyone the right to throw their hands up in defeat and not try. At the very least you can say you did what you could to reach your dreams.
It can be really hard to interact with people who have a chip on their shoulders. They love to blame everyone from their first grade teacher to their parents and friends for their own shortcomings. At some point there really needs to be personal accountability.
I certainly don’t have all the answers or see everything through rose-colored lenses. It’s only natural to look at yourself in the midst of failure and second-guess what you know to be true. Rather than wag the finger of blame at people who didn’t hire me or clients who chose not to take my services, I did my best to figure out what I could do to set myself apart from my competition and be more successful.
Whether a family member, friend, or colleague, my patience runs thin when folks try to pass the buck.
“You don’t understand what I’ve been through, my life hasn’t been fair.”
A very good friend of mine had an idea for a small business that was right up her alley. After losing her job years ago, she took a position in the house cleaning industry that inspired her to start her own. With a knack for organizing and keeping things tidy, she did really well for herself, commanding upwards of $60 an hour. Life was pretty good for her until she started experiencing a few setbacks. Call it a lack of manpower to satisfy her growing list of clients or failure to create a marketing plan, things started to unravel.
The truth is my gal pal jumped head first into an idea without thoroughly researching it. While she did bring experience to the table, her lack of a business plan was one of many reasons why her company started to collapse.
Rather than identify areas that needed improving, she started blaming everyone for her failing business. How come her friends didn’t help her? (She really did expect us to drop our daily job demands to work for free.) Why did certain business needs cost so much money? She even threw in race as she believed her obstacles solely occurred because she was Black. (Side note: My friend had a pretty hefty Rolodex of clientele that ranged in ethnic backgrounds.)
I get how easy it is to pass the buck. We see it around the workplace and in our personal lives. Even if folks contribute to the decline of a situation, that doesn’t mean you’re 100 percent blameless, or couldn’t do something to help fix it.
Do you know someone who constantly blames others for not reaching their dreams?
