Partly by Circumstance, Ultimately by Choice

There are many factors that play into the positioning that we are in in terms of life. Oftentimes, our  circumstances determine where we stand, what we do, how we think and what we say. It could be the hold of our jobs on our lives, the responsibility of providing for family, or the turmoil of life itself that has us sitting right where we do not want to be sitting. It is easy to point to the the underlying contributors and say "it is the fault of the neighborhood I grew up in," etc. etc., and such comments may be deemed as valid. Naturally, we seek validation from the sympathy of others or the realness of a situation. It is what we need to justify our inactivity. It acts as the notarized declaration that states that it is ok to remain in our states, because it is not our fault, anyway.

However, I am here to say that it is not ok. When I go through moments where I am explaining my plight, I sometimes feel guilty because deep down I know that I am dismissing some form of accountability on my end. But, why should I accept accountability when I have someone or something to push it off on? The answer is simple. It is because we are where we are in life partly by circumstance, but ultimately by choice. Excuses become the father of inactivity. The more we blame, the less we act.

I was watching my favorite show Shark Tank last week and there was one important message I took from the totality of the show. It was having accountabilty. It was during a discussion where an entrepreneur seeking funding told "the sharks" that his sells were down because he did not have the team to help take it to the next level and to get the word out there, and one of the sharks replied (paraphrasing) that he hates it when people say that they can't do this because of that. He was telling him that at some point he has to go out there and try to make it happen. The entrepreneur allowed his circumstance to influence a choice of not continuing to hustle.

Life is all about choices. Some circumstances are more dire than others, but then again we can't go anywhere if we do not start walking. If we allow our situations to determine the outcome of our choices that could in turn inhibit our progression, then it will determine the outcome of our lives.

God Bless