April 29, 2008

Playing the Blame Game   Are you playing the blame game?  That's the game in which one looks outside of oneself for the reasons their life is just not working the way they would like it to.  It's always the fault of someone else or something else.    Alas, there are no winners in the blame game.  When you blame, you skirt personal responsibility; and more often that not, success eludes you.   Author and speaker Jack Canfield recounts a conversation he had with W. Clement Stone (a close friend of Napoleon Hill) when the former was one year out of graduate school.  Stone said to him,   "Taking one hundred percent responsibility means you acknowledge that you create everything that happens to you.  It means that you understand that you are the cause of all of your experience.  If you want to be really successful, and I know you do, then you will have to give up blaming and complaining and take total responsibility for your life - that means all your results, both your successes and your failures.  That is the prerequisite for creating a life of success.  It is only by acknowledging that you have created everything up until now that you can take charge of creating the future you want.   You see, Jack, if you realize that you have created your current conditions, then you can uncreate them and re-create them at will."   Once you give up the blame and point your finger inward instead of outward, you will see more clearly that you do have the power to create the life you want.  When you become responsible for your thoughts, actions, words, feelings, and behaviors you can then choose wisely how you will respond, react, and act, to whatever comes your way.   Furthermore, "the more responsibility you take, the more in control you are.  And the freer you are, especially in your own mind, to make decisions and to do the things you want to do.  So there's a direct relationship between responsibility, control, freedom and happiness," says Brian Tracy.   The next time you find yourself ready to play the blame game, ask yourself these questions:   "If I took more responsibility for my career, I would ..." "If I took more responsibility for my finances, I would ..." "If I took more responsibility for my health, I would ..." "If I took more responsibility for my relationships, I would ..." "If I took more responsibility for my time, I would ..."   "If I took more responsibility for my LIFE, I would ..."     "All blame is a waste of time.  No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you.  The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration.  You may succeed in making another feel guilty about something by blaming him, but you won't succeed in changing whatever it is about you that is making you unhappy."             Wayne Dyer                                                                       "The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it."             Lou Holtz   "The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own.  No apologies or excuses.  No one to lean on, rely on, or blame.  The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it.  This is the day your life really begins."             Bob Moawad     Blaming your personality for what you eat at a Mexican restaurant?  A survey for Qdoba Mexican Grill explored what your favorite Mexican dish has to say about you.  If you love tacos, you are conscientious and a perfectionist.  You are most romantically compatible with quesadilla lovers. If you love quesadillas, you are dependable, a true friend, and a follower, not a leader.  And, you are most romantically compatible with taco lovers. If you love chips and salsa, you are competitive, ambitious, and a natural leader. And, you are most romantically compatible with other chips and salsas. If you love burritos, you are dramatic, flirtatious, gregarious, and witty.  And you are most romantically compatible with pretty much everyone.   Don't blame me.  That survey was found in the recent issue of Women's Health magazine.  The author, Alan Hirsch, MD says that taste and personality reside in the same part of the brain. Hmm.   Have a fantastic week and take responsibility for YOU.   Stephanie   P.S.  The "I Appreciate My Referring Doctors" Day was great fun Friday inAlbany,NY.  Balance and team building were the topics of the day and the dentists left with several insights and how-tos to live their best life.  To schedule a presentation for your group, contact me.  I can customize it to your time and topic needs.       We grow by "word-of-email" so please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone whom you think might benefit from and enjoy it. Thanks so much! Contact Us: stephanie@7steps2abalancedlife.com