I recently read an article on accepting responsibility for your own actions and not blaming others and I would like to share that with you. You can read the full article called Accept responsibility – the key to better results and relationships at the following web address:
http://www.coachingpositiveperformance.com/accept-responsibility/
“When things go wrong in life, it is easy to search for a scapegoat ie, somebody to blame so that you do not have to accept responsibility for your outcomes. Blame is a very harmful attitude to adopt. Not only are you deflecting responsibility from yourself but you are damaging your relationships by suggesting that others are holding you back. You adopt a narrow focus whereby somebody else, or something else, is to blame. There is a major problem here as you cannot improve a situation unless you actually accept responsibility.
The main reason that many people refuse to accept responsibility for their life is that they feel like they are blaming themselves – as though they deliberately screwed things up. That is an inaccurate reflection of what it actually means to accept responsibility for your life. When you accept responsibility for your life, you are simply identifying the areas where you can influence change, so that you might achieve a better outcome on the next occasion. You are not attacking anybody or anything; you are identifying and implementing potential solutions. Accepting responsibility is a more positive and effective approach than attributing blame.”
According to the article there are five behaviours that will enable you to accept responsibility for your life and avoid blaming others for your circumstances:
- Focus on solutions rather than problems
- Avoid blaming others
- Focus on what you can influence
- Own your problems
- Forget fairness
Too often I hear our boys, educators and parents blame others for a poor result or a bad loss and I think this article will help us to accept responsibility for our own actions first, before we blame others.
Leon Erasmus
14th Head Master
