No excuses

There is a song in Spanish that I remember pieces of from when I was a little girl. It went something like, "Escusas, escusas, se hoyen cada dia." For my English-only speaking peeps, that translates to, "Excuses, excuses, you hear them everyday." I think the reason this song has stuck with me all these years is because, even as a young girl, coming up with excuses was as natural as breathing for me. It must be in my DNA or something...SEE! there's another excuse that just crept up on me right now as I am writing this! It is amazing to me how easy they come, I don't even know I'm doing it sometimes. Excuses seem innocuous, but when they become a way of life they can get in the way of life. I have, indeed, let excuses delay the undertaking of my mission as well as impede my drive to move forward and improve. Somewhere along the line, I came to believe that excuses were REAL obstacles...ones that were nearly, if not entirely, impossible to overcome. Examples:

1. I didn't get enough sleep, so I can snap at people and completely disrespect and dismiss them.
2. I am hungry, so I can act like a two year old and throw a fit -- pouting, stomping my feet, the whole nine.
3. I am not feeling inspired, so I cannot finish that chapter I was working on.
4. Its hot as hell out there, so I cannot do my workout today.

Again, some of these might seem reasonable or benign, but its not so much the excuse itself that is dangerous as it is the mindset from which they come. They are born out of the belief that we are not 100% in control of our actions or thoughts 100% of the time and, thus, we cannot be held responsible or accountable for 100% of what we say and do. That is the danger!!! This manner of thinking is shared by serial killers and Presidents who "have no choice" but to bomb a building where innocent children are playing. "Aww, you're taking it to the extreme," you say. Well, yes, I am. What does it matter,though, if the point I am trying to make is that the everyday excuses we make and the BIG, HUGE, LIFE-DAMAGING ones are merely degrees of the same thing.

The truth is, excuses keep us back. We tell ourselves, we're not good enough, we're not smart enough, we're too young, we're too old, etc. etc. and it keeps us from going after what we really want in life. There are some people (extremely successful and content people), though, that don't let excuses stand in their way. No matter what, they know what they want for themselves, for their lives and they don't let doubts or excuses get in their way. I have been blessed to spend enough time with some of these people that some of their "No Excuses" attitude has started to rub off on me. Really. Attitudes are contagious, lifestyles are contagious--productive and nonproductive ones alike. So, I have been trying to modify or transform my thought patterns and learn how to not let excuses stop my movement. It is a very difficult thing for me. As difficult as it is to let go of excuses, though, I have determined to do it because it is no longer acceptable nor is it beneficial for me to hold onto them.

So, recently, I have been dealing with some "hormonal imbalances". Its more difficult to be focused on the positive during these times, but I MUST intensify my efforts to remain focused on what pulls me forward rather than what pulls me back. Negative energy is like a black hole, it tries to grab hold of anything that gets close to it and suck it down. I don’t want to be a black hole. I will not be a black hole, but a ray of light – good thoughts, good energy, a force for good. It is a CHOICE. Regardless of whatever hormonal craziness might be going on inside, it is STILL a choice. I have to remind myself of that all the time! Whatever my condition, whatever the circumstances, I still have the ability to control my actions and words and others still have the right to hold me completely responsible for both. My advice to my fellow "excuse addicts" (or should I say, RECOVERING excuse addicts), then, is this...Don’t forget your purpose. Don't forget what you have determined to be or to do. FOCUS ON THAT!!! and remind yourself every time you catch yourself letting the excuses find their way into your thoughts that you will not fulfill your purpose if you let the excuses remain there.