zippyboot's Xanga

Making Excuses

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:05:47 GMT

Making Excuses

He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else (Benjamin Franklin)

Most of us are guilty of having done something we shouldn't have or of not doing something we should have. When we are questioned about our misconduct, do we accept responsibility and admit we are at fault? Usually not. Instead we make excuses. Making excuses for mistakes is not new. In fact, we can trace this undesirable habit all the way back to the Garden of Eden. For when God asked Adam if he had eaten of the tree he was commanded not to, Adam created the world's first excuse, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." (Genesis 3:12) And when God asked Eve what she had done, she gave the world's second excuse, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." (Genesis 3:13)

Excuses negate responsibility, and it is responsibility that separates man from the rest of the animal kingdom. Unlike other animals, we are responsible not for what we have, but for what we could have; not for what we are, but for what we could become. If we are to take credit for our successes, we must assume responsibility for our failures. Trying to hide our failures with excuses is like concealing a small hole in our garment with a large patch; it only makes the matter worse. This analogy is taken from Shakespeare who wrote:

"And oftentimes, excusing of a fault,
Doth make a fault the worse by the excuse;
As patches set upon a little breach,
Discredit more in hiding of the fault,
Than did the fault before it was so patch'd."

Excuses are harmful because they prevent one from succeeding. When we make excuses and repeat them often enough, they become a belief. The belief then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. For example, a sales rep discouraged by his poor sales starts to blame the price of his product. "No one wants to buy it because it's too expensive." he says. After repeatedly making this excuse, he begins to believe it is true. The result? Dismal sales. Compare this with a responsible sales rep. After hearing many prospects complain about the high price, he accepts responsibility. "It is my fault they are complaining," the rep says, "for I haven't justified the cost of my product by adequately pointing out its value." Once we accept responsibility, we can evaluate our actions and take corrective measures to find solutions to our problems. Excuses, on the other hand, are like stop signs; they halt our progress.

By refusing to make excuses and embracing responsibility, we reap many rewards. The successes brought by this attitude act as a foundation for self-respect, pride, and confidence. Responsibility breeds competence and power. By living up to our promises and obligations, we win the trust of others. Once we are seen as trustworthy, people will willingly work with us, for our mutual gain. So, you see, making excuses can put the brakes on our progress, while accepting responsibility can lead us to the top.

How to stop making excuses and start building a life
1. Realize that your success or failure depends on you. It depends on the choices you make. It depends on your attitude. Resolve to start accepting responsibility today. Don't find an excuse, find a way. Don't make excuses, make good. Remember what Winston Churchill said, "Responsibility is the price of greatness."

2. Beware of rationalization. We make excuses to hide behavior we are ashamed of. Rationalization is the process of trying to hide shameful conduct from ourselves. This is dangerous because we become unaware of what we are doing. However, you can fight rationalization by looking for cues. For instance, if someone challenges your conduct and you become angry, it probably suggests you are guilty as charged. Why would you get angry, if you're innocent?

3. From time to time, stop and examine your progress. Compare where you are now with where you would like to be. Ask yourself why is there a gap between these two points. Don't make excuses. Make plans and take corrective action.

4. When you make a mistake, accept responsibility; learn from it; and don't repeat it. Use your time for discovering solutions instead of inventing excuses.

5. Plant your garden of success today:

First, plant 3 rows of peas;

Patience
Positive thinking
Persistence

Next, plant 3 rows of squash;

Squash excuses
Squash blame
Squash criticism

Then, plant 3 rows of lettuce;

Let us be responsible
Let us be trustworthy
Let us be ambitious

Finish, with 3 rows of turnip;

Turn up when needed
Turn up with a smile
Turn up with confidence

If I Die...

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:44:35 GMT

Back home now I know you're probably sleepin'
Over here it's the middle of the day
I finally found the time to write a letter
Sittin' here a half a world away

I heard about all them folks protestin'
As if I really want this war
But that don't stop me from believin'
There's just some things worth fightin' for

CHORUS
And if I die before you wake, I pray the world will take
A good look at what God's given us
That we could only understand, everything is in his hands
All we need is a little faith and trust
I want you to know it ain't too high a price to pay
If I die before you wake

Tell everybody that I miss them
And I can't wait to get back home
But until then I'll serve my country
And be proud to wear this uniform

CHORUS
No it ain't too high a price to pay
If I die before you wake

~ Written by Dustin Evans, Dave Brainard and Rick Tiger
~ Performed by Dustin Evans

Neighbors

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:03:28 GMT

There were once two neighbors--an athiest and a Godly woman. These two often argued about the existence of God and the power of prayer.

Everyday he could hear her praying and praising God for all of the things He had done for her.

One day, the old woman fell on hard times and had no food in her house. The atheist overheard her praying to God "Lord, please provide me my daily bread."

The atheist overheard her prayer and jumped at the chance to disprove the existance of God and ran off to the grocery store, thinking he was going to teach her a lesson.

He bought two bags of groceries. After placing them on her porch, he rang her bell and then hid in some nearby bushes.

When the old woman came out of her house she saw the bags of groceries and said, "Praise the Lord, my prayers have been answered."

At that point, the happy atheist jumped from the bushes and shouted, "AH HA! The Lord didn't send you those groceries! It was I who put them there!"

Without even a pause, the old woman shot back, "Praise You dear Lord. Not only did you send the groceries, but you made the devil pay for them!"

~Author Unknown

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:25:06 GMT

Ever wondered how a woman's brain works?
It's finally explained here in one, easy-to-understand illustration:

Every one of those little blue balls is a thought about something that needs to be done, a decision or a problem that needs to be solved.

A man, of course, has only 2 balls and they take up all his thoughts.

Government Health Warning

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:35:19 GMT

GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING

DO NOT SWALLOW CHEWING-GUM !!

A Broken Heart

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:02:51 GMT

So you got your heart broke in two,
And you hurt so bad you don't know what to do;
And you think that you're the only one who's ever felt this way,
But there was sure another One another day.

And He died of a broken heart,
It broke for you and me.
He loved us more than words can say,
And more than we could see;
His death was not from pain He felt while hanging on that tree;
No, He died of a broken heart for you and me.

And it seems you've come to the end,
And you're standing all alone without a friend;
And you're just so sure that no one's ever hurt this bad before,
But there was One who hurt this bad and even more!

And He died of a broken heart,
It broke for you and me.
He loved us more than words can say,
And more than we could see;
His death was not from pain He felt while hanging on that tree;
No, He died of a broken heart
Oh, He died of a broken heart,
Yes, He died because He loves you and me!

~Dallas Holm 1979

Dallas Holm Ministries

Rest for a Fool

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 18:44:06 GMT

These things are on my heart today.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
~Matthew 11:28

A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.
~Proverbs 27:3

The Greatest Woman Who Ever Lived

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 04:17:43 GMT

If I asked you who was the greatest woman who ever lived, you might answer "Joan of Arc" or "Rosa Parks" or someone who went down in history for some remarkable deed worthy of mention by a people or a nation, but if you were to ask me, I would have to tell you that the greatest woman who ever lived was my grandmother. She sacrificed and worked her whole life to provide for her children and her grandchildren to make sure they were fed, clothed and loved with every part of her being. She was the most remarkable woman I ever met. So full of love, courage and wisdom. She always had the answer for a question, a recipe for an empty belly, a remedy for a wound or illness or a hug for hungry soul. If I ever aspire to be half the woman she was, I will consider my life a success.

My grandma passed away last Friday. She was 90 years old, born July 12, 1917. She lived through the depression, and several wars, was married for almost 70 years to the same man and raised 3 children and 2 grandchildren. She was loved and she blessed many. She will be missed, but I hope to see her again some day in paradise.

Good bye grandma.

My Daughter's Artwork

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:41:27 GMT

Portrait of a PenPal

Self Portrait

Marc Fencil: Student, Marine, Sharp Tongued Writer

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 05:50:22 GMT

Marc Fencil is a senior at The Ohio University. He is majoring in Political Science, Criminology, and Spanish. He won't be graduating this spring because his side job is currently keeping him very busy. Which side job is this?

Marc Fencil is also a Lance Corporal in the United States Marines and is one of the few & proud currently serving in Iraq.

Upon learning his fellow students in Athens, Ohio decided to stage a "Die-In" at College Gate, Marc decided to join them in spirit by writing a letter to the editor of the The Post Online.

"It's a shame that I'm here in Iraq with the Marines right now and not back at Ohio University completing my senior year and joining in blissful ignorance with the enlightened, war-seasoned protesters who participated in the recent "die-in" at College Gate. It would appear that all the action is back home, but why don't we make sure? That's right, this is an open invitation for you to cut your hair, take a shower, get in shape and come on over! If Michael Moore can shave and lose enough weight to fit into a pair of camouflage utilities, then he can come too!

Make sure you all say your goodbyes to your loved ones though, because you won't be seeing them for at least the next nine months. You need to get here quick because I don't want you to miss a thing. You missed last month's discovery of a basement full of suicide vests from the former regime (I'm sure Saddam's henchmen just wore them because they were trendy though). You weren't here for the opening of a brand new school we built either. You might also notice women exercising their new freedom of walking to the market unaccompanied by their husbands.

There is a man here, we just call him al-Zarqawi, but we think he'd be delighted to sit down and give you some advice on how you can further disrespect the victims of Sept. 11 and the 1,600 of America's bravest who have laid down their lives for a safer world. Of course he'll still call you "infidel" but since you already agree that there is no real evil in the world, I see no reason for you to be afraid. Besides, didn't you say that radical Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance?

I'm warning you though -it's not going to be all fun and games over here. You might have bad dreams for the next several nights after you zip up the body bag over a friend's disfigured face. I know you think that nothing, even a world free of terror for one's children, is worth dying for, but bear with me here. We're going to live in conditions you've never dreamt about. You should get here soon though, because the temperatures are going to be over 130 degrees very soon and we will be carrying full combat loads (we're still going to work though). When it's all over, I promise you can go back to your coffee houses and preach about social justice and peace while you continue to live outside of reality.

If you decide to decline my offer, then at least you should sleep well tonight knowing that men wearing black facemasks and carrying AK-47s yelling "Allahu Akbar" over here are proud of you and are forever indebted to you for advancing their cause of terror. While you ponder this, I'll get back to the real "die-in" over here. I don't mind."