In talking with people many times, it’s very evident that determinism is deeply imbedded in our present day culture. Too often I notice that people blame circumstances or others for their problems. This past election, I heard people in both political parties express the doom and gloom that would come if either of the two candidates were elected. I even heard that it was the candidates themselves who were going to be responsible for creating more jobs! As if the government manufactures jobs for people. The fact is that job growth happens when there is less government restriction. This kind of “blame game” mentality is becoming more prevalent than ever.
We’ve all played the blame game a time or two. The job we didn’t get because the interviewer was out to get us, or the relationship that didn’t work out because the other person had problems, and how about the business that failed because customers wouldn’t pay on time or the bank wouldn’t approve that loan. The fact is, we’ve all fallen into the trap of putting responsibility on others for the disappointments we’ve suffered in life. I’m not saying that we can control everything in life that happens to us. There are certainly circumstances that are often out of our control. These are just part of life’s trials that God puts us through at times. What we do have, is control over how we react to those unfortunate events.
Dr. Stephen Covey in his excellent book, The Eighth Habit, says that part of the reason that people fall into the habit of blaming others is that don’t want to face the fact that they are truly to blame for where they are in life. They would much rather “play the victim” in life. The truth is ,though, that until a person can honestly say “I am what I am” or “I am where I am because I chose to be here,” they can never improve their current situation. It’s time for us to take responsibility for our lives, no matter the situation we find ourselves in.
About the Author
Jonathan R. Taylor, specializes in helping people in every stage of their lives to find more meaning and purpose in their work. He believes that to find that purpose and meaning, a person's interests, skills, passions, and goals must integrate seamlessly with their work. To get more great advice, subscribe to Jonathan's newsletter at www.careercalling.com!