What Happens When You Run Out of People To Blame?

This is a guest post by Trisha Tolar. Tisha is a writer for DebtFreeDestiny.com, where she provides information about credit card consolidation, debt relief and how to get out of debt.

There have been times in my life when I question if I was born in the wrong generation. I have a tendency to relate well with people ten years my senior and now that I have moved past the big 30 I look at these young “kids” and wonder what happened between the time when I was a child and their childhood. I always find it funny that one  generation will complain about the behavior of the next, yet who is responsible for raising that  new generation? I guess personal accountability has always been something that a person either accepted or denied, however it seems to be getting harder and harder each day to find adults and children alike who are willing to take responsibility for their actions. Here are a few recent examples of the blame game in full play.

• Housing Crisis

• Bank Failures

• Credit Crisis

• Debt Relief Companies

• Unemployment
  

In each of these situations it quickly became apparent that no one was responsible for the problem. Not the consumers who have raced headlong into thousands of dollars in debt just to be like their neighbors. Not the banks who always disclose all the important information and eagerly work to save you money. Not the credit card companies who not only encourage indebtedness but also place consumers under some kind of trance where they are unable to say “no”. And you know that your neighbor didn’t lose his job because he was a major slacker, it was sadly due to the economy.

The recession and hardships that consumers face is no laughing matter; in fact thousands if not millions of lives have been altered due to the changes in the last two years. My point however is that we have become a society where pointing the finger to someone, anyone else is not only acceptable but expected. Unfortunately when it comes right down to it and if we would all be just the least bit honest with ourselves, we are the driving factor in controlling our own lives. When it comes to personal finance, each person has the chance to make as little or as much money as they wish. Some of you are scoffing right now thinking yeah right, if I had the choice between being rich or poor wouldn’t I choose to be rich. Ask yourself this, why aren’t you? I bet each of us have a list of reasons why we aren’t where we want to be in life, either personally or financially- and none of it is our fault.

To find happiness and ultimately success each person must hold themselves accountable for every decision they make, both the good and the bad. Once you accept responsibility for your actions you can admit you may have been wrong, therefore learning what not to do in the future. Another benefit of being responsible for your own actions is you instantly take control over your life. Did you fail to read the fine print when enrolling in the debt settlement program? Do you now see what you missed and how much that mistake will cost you? Sure you can blame them for hiding the information or false advertising but you know in your heart that had you actually paid attention you would have avoided the mess you are in. No longer are you waiting for the debt settlement company or the government to fix your problem, you can fix it and move on.

The next time something goes wrong in your day, listen to yourself. Are you able to say, had I left an hour earlier I would have missed rush hour traffic? Or are you going to blame the people in the five car pileup ahead-after all how dare they mess up your commute home? Stop making excuses and start making decisions regarding your life and your finances. Don’t allow the banks, your boss, the government or your third grade art teacher hold you back from achieving your goals both personally and financially. If you make a mistake along the way, do what they did in the old days……take away from the experience a lesson for the future. Oh and if you make the right decisions and work your way through life checking each goal off your list you now have the pleasure of saying, “I did it all on my own”!

Tagged as: credit, debt, Financial Health, financial responsibility