Can we slow the spread of blame and flatten the curve of finger-pointing? It can be done — when we look in the mirror. And … when we teach QBQ! to our youth.
Too Little Accountable Thinking
Society today allows for a great deal of rationalization and justification, leading to convoluted thoughts, faulty reasoning, and very little personal responsibility for individual choices. This is a problem for adults and young people. Assume you’ve noticed this, too. ?
Ever heard stuff like this from grown-ups?
I don’t text while driving—except when at a red light.
I shouldn’t have lashed out at him, but he made me mad.
My kids aren’t perfect, but at least they don’t do what their friends do.
I know being late to work isn’t right, but everyone does it.
I should get projects done on time, but management should hire more people.
I can only change me, but if my spouse would change, all would be better!
Too Much Blame
Heavy doses of justification and rationalization for a person’s actions are nothing more than finger-pointing and blame. Have you noticed when some folks ‘splain their actions, we only hear excuses? We recently dealt with this topic here: Excuse-Making: Anyone Can Do It!
I know when I overthink stuff, I conjure up excuses for others and for me. That’s costly. No one can learn, grow, and change when unwilling to say, “I’m wrong. I own it. Here’s what I’ve learned.”
Nor will any problems be solved. The Blame Game fails us all.
Accountability Gives Us Power
How many times have you heard this famous phrase? — “With great power comes great responsibility.” Probably a whole lot.
Let’s turn it around: “With responsibility comes great power.”
Meaning, when I practice the timeless truth of Personal Accountability, I empower myself to eradicate excuses, own my life, and be better today than I was yesterday.
Truly, the accountable person lives on a higher plane than most — and stands out.
Who Needs This Power?
We all need this power. But how could we positively affect our world and the future? By teaching Personal Accountability to children. To young people. To the youth of the day.
Whether at the kitchen table as a family, in a home-schooling situation, or a formal classroom, teaching youth the principle of OWNERSHIP is definitely a worthy goal. To be clear … OWNERSHIP = ACCOUNTABILITY = RESPONSIBILITY. It’s truly all the same good stuff with one worthy goal: Slowing the spread of blame in our lives. Maybe even eliminating it! ????
Our “I Own It!” curriculum does just that. Practical, user-friendly, and life-altering, we hope you’ll employ it with the young people you’re developing. Downloading the QBQ! book’s message of Personal Accountability into the head, heart, and hands of a young person is an outstanding thing grown-ups can do. So grab “I Own It!” at our store today!
