Unveiling the Truth Behind Excuses and Embracing Your Best Life
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Anywhere you go in the world you will see people who are struggling in their health or life and they have the same complaints;
"Must be nice"
"I wish I had their genetics"
"If I had that much money I'd do that too"
"I don't have time like they do, I have kids"
These perspectives hold back millions from living fulfilling lives. This attitude also falls into what is called victim culture. Everyone and everything is to blame, except the one constant in all of it. You.
Lets be honest, it feels good to blame, complain, deflect and exonerate ourselves. As long as we don't take responsibility then we have no reason to feel bad.
This isn't a judgment or "better than you" sort of thing. We are all victims at some point. Yet, amidst these struggles, there are those who've triumphed under identical circumstances:
People have overcome their genetics and gotten ripped.
People who grew up in poverty have made amassed incredible wealth.
People juggling their schedule with kids have created time to work on their business and health.
Being a victim and making excuses shuts you off from the one thing that we are here to do; grow.
Why Do We Make Excuses?
We often make excuses to protect ourselves from fears. Fears like what others will think of us, fears of failing and being perceived a certain way.
As Seneca famously said, "He who indulges in empty fears earns himself real fears."
We make excuses to stay within our comfort zones. We humans seek comfort and security above almost all else. We make excuses to control the perception others have of us. The "better" the excuse, the more we feel validated in making it.
We make excuses because we lack purpose. We commit to things that don't inspire us. It becomes about feeding our ego. When our ego is threatened, we will make excuses to protect us.
The question becomes; Am I living to feed my ego? or am I living to live my best life?
How to Ditch Your Excuses
There are 4 things to deep dive into the learn how to ditch your excuses.
1. EXTREME OWNERSHIP
Extreme ownership is realizing that you are the one common element in everything in your life. You will always be at least 50% of the equation and often times more. No matter what happened before, you have the option to leave it in the past and keep it there.
2. SHIFT YOUR PERSPECTIVE
When you take responsibility, you begin to see that problems are opportunities, not obstacles. Life is happening for you, not to you. Ask yourself; How can I view this as a gift? This simple reframe is enough to make lemonade out of any lemons.
3. UNCOVER YOUR LIMITING BELIEFS
People who make excuses likely have certain limiting beliefs that are holding them back. These are the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. We call these seed stories and you are probably not even fully aware of what they are. Rest assured, if there is an area of your life that you struggle in you have a seed story that is keeping you stuck.
4. CHANGE YOUR STORY
Once you’ve identified your limiting beliefs, you can change your seed story and stop making excuses for good. Do this by identifying negative self-talk and replacing any limiting beliefs with empowering ones. When you change your words – and your story – you can change your identity. Change your identity and you can actions and your life.
Once you have gone through this process you will have given yourself a new outlook on your struggles, journey and will have let your limiting beliefs and excuses go.
Only then is real change possible and a great life can be born.
Until next week....
