By: Chhaya Néné (University of Miami)
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How often do you play the blame game? Seriously. You’ve had a bad day and it’s your mom’s fault, or your boss’ fault, or your sibling’s fault, whose fault is it really? When we were kids we could get away with blaming others but it’s time that we take responsibility for our own actions. So how do you do it?
Own Up
In every situation, YOU have a choice. If you arrive to work late, and you get yelled at, it’s not your boss being a jerk, it’s you not leaving early. If you get a bad grade on a paper you turn in that was written in two minutes, your professor isn’t trying to fail you… your writing probably wasn’t that great. If you speed and get caught… well you get the point. So instead of blaming others, change your own actions and you’ll tend to be happier.
Stop hurting others
Have you thought about the way you act when you aren’t taking responsibility for yourself? Grumpy? Rude? Plain Mean? When you’re in a mad mood, chances are you will say something negative to someone, something you can’t take back, and thus you will feel guilty. It’s a vicious cycle; your bad mood funnels bad actions, which hurts people, and then they push you away, leaving you feeling even worse. So before you open your mouth, think. “Is what I’m going to say, going to hurt someone?”
Being Organized
Being organized will save you many headaches! If you take the time to schedule your activities, schoolwork, work in general, and social time you will be able to prepare for each activity and arrive on time. This eliminates the need to blame others and the bad moods, thus allowing for you to take responsibility for yourself!
Being responsible for yourself really isn’t that hard, but it will require you to have patience, to be understanding, and have the discipline to stick to a schedule. Don’t waste time, you have the tools, get started on that schedule!
