Trading Freedom for Finger Pointing

Jake Luehrs
January 18, 2025

ONE QUESTION

When considering one of your most painful experiences in life, what gift did it give you?

ONE THING TO PONDER

If you boil it down, it’s our dwelling about the future or sulking about the past that causes us the most suffering.

ONE PERSPECTIVE

Picture this: Two people face the same setback. One spends their energy finding someone to blame, while the other asks, "What can I do about this?" Who do you think moves forward faster?

Here's a truth that might surprise you: Taking responsibility isn't about accepting blame – it's about claiming your power to change things.

It’s important to remember that by casting away responsibility in the form of blame may make you feel more comfortable and justified, but it hasn’t solved the issue or challenge at hand.

It’s time to start distancing ourselves from those that constantly are pointing their finger outward without taking any responsibility for their own participation in the lack of results they have.

I share this with compassion, but maybe with a hint of a reality check.

Operating in victim mode only steals that ability to affect change and makes us miserable over time.

I get it, many times challenges show up that aren’t ‘our fault.’ Tough things happen to great people, that’s life.

Source: https://www.semanticsgroup.com/insights/responsibility-vs-fault

My only thought to have you ponder is that taking Responsibility doesn’t require you to assume Fault.

We spend much more time on pointing the finger than we do on exploring solutions.

We get so wrapped up in our ego of looking good and being right. While it’s an option to defend those two things, we end up making things worse for ourselves and others.

The truth gets exposed over time every time.

We all get to choose the responsibility we take on.

Some choose to take it all on, others choose to take very little on.

Yet what I’m certain to be true is that the more responsibility we take for ourselves, our actions, our emotions, the better off the whole world will be.

Responsibility is actually a gift, not a burden.

The most successful people I know have mastered a counterintuitive truth: they take responsibility even for problems they didn't create. Why? Because they've discovered that responsibility isn't a burden – it's a superpower.

Go exercise your superpower!

Onward and upward!

PODCAST

Conversation with Mel Robbins-

The “Let Them Theory” & How It Can Change Your Life

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

This is well worth the listen. This is the podcast that has the opportunity to touch every aspect of your life, from your business, to your relationships and your health. There are some hard truths and also some great pieces of content that can offer you freedom from yourself and others. Highly Recommend!.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Falling Upward
by Richard Rohr

“Many would rather be ruined than changed.” This quote from the book landed with me. The majority of people like the idea of growing and transforming, yet underestimate the uncertainty we feel as we do that. We have to let parts of ourselves go in order to become a different version. This book certainly addresses some of those things. Take notice as most people spend much of their life on autopilot, don’t let that be you.