No more excuses--I'm responsible

I am having such fun doing this. It is my chance to drone on and on and pretend someone is listening. I continue to marvel at the miracle of the internet and the endless possibilities. Thank you Al Gore!!

Okay so another important principle is to remember is that I am responsible for my own happiness because of the gift of free agency. It is up to me to succeed or not and even if outside circumstances are difficult, I am still in charge of how I respond.

I have always loved this quote, "No matter how valid the excuse, it doesn't change performance." For me this means that if I want to perform well, I won't let excuses get in my way and I especially don't want to be held hostage by another person's choices. I know that it is so easy to want to blame someone else for not reaching my potential but that is a waste of time and energy.

If I can't blame someone else, it doesn't mean that I get angry at myself if I fall short. It just means that I accept my responsibility, repent, and move forward. I know that self criticism can be brutal and in order to deflect the pain, it is easy to blame others. But the only healing and progressive thing to do is to just be accountable and seek forgiveness.