Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

I don’t have enough time. I don’t have enough money. No one will help me. I feel stuck. My family’s needs come ahead of mine. I have to take care of my parents. When my kids are in college. I don’t have enough money. If I had a different boss or job. I am too old. I am too tired. I am too inexperienced. I don’t have the right education.
Any of these excuses sound familiar? What is your favorite excuse? If you are not sure, ask a friend or relative. Those who regularly interact with us instantly know the excuse that peppers our everyday language. Language that we are unconsciously using. Language that stunts our growth.
Excuses leave us stuck and stagnating. We create more excuses to validate our headline excuse. We look for examples of our excuse to prove we are right. If we say we don’t have enough time then we create a calendar to confirm to ourselves, and to others, we are just too busy. Our excuses and our reasons to support them build evidence. The evidence we need to prove to ourselves that we are right, in spite of being wrong. Our excuses convince us that we are safe exactly where we are. And “safe” feels better than change, even if “safe” is an uncomfortable and unhappy place for us.
Our higher self, the true us, does not accept excuses and wants to grow. Our higher self knows we are capable of being, feeling and doing so much more. It is the quiet nudge, the inner knowing, that causes us to pause, reflect and dream big dreams. Dreams that can really come true…without excuses.
Who’s running your life…you or your excuses?
Activities
1. Ask a friend or relative to listen to your language patterns for a week and then tell you the top excuse(s) he/she hears you using. Any surprises?
2. List your top 3 excuses. Ask yourself how you are benefiting from each excuse.
3. List 5 ways your life would be better if your excuse did not exist.
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