LiLTweeks: I own it. No one else to blame.

The lesson I learned this week [LiLTweeks] like several of my lessons came from an iTunes podcast. I usually playback archived broadcast of shows I subscribed to while writing blogs or exercising. This time I heard something that made me realize I have a way to go before owning my mistakes without pointing the “finger” at someone else to take the blame for my misfortunes.

Surreal Opportunities

Back in February of 2010, Tavis Smiley interviewed talented actor and comedian Tracy Morgan to promote his new movie. The energy coming off of Tracy was electrifying. From the moment the interview started he was talking about the surrealness of coming up with nothing other than a dream and now being able to walk down the street seeing billboards of him and Bruce Willis in, “Cop Out.”

Three minutes into the conversation Tavis asked, Like Richard Pryor owning his style of comedy, “Have you gotten to a point in your career yet where you think you own anything yet? Where you can say this is Tracy Morgan’s, this is my thing?”

Full Responsibility Disclosure

That’s when Tracy dropped the bombshell that nearly diffused the interview. And would have had Tracy not kept talking after, “Yeah. My mistakes. The mistakes I’ve made in my life are mine. I own them. That’s all I own in this world.”

I tell you, hearing those words makes everything I thought about accusing someone else for, [unattractive]. Over the last six years I’ve taken my fair share of finger pointing and problem blaming way too far. Just bitter about things that I have no one else to blame other than me.

I’m to blame for not having my own lawyers and inspectors present when making those real estate deals. I’m to blame for not monitoring my professional development credit hours for meeting my end of the state board of education contract. There is no one else to blame other than me for allowing my trust in people to go uninspected. People sometimes have a corrupted agenda, that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t fight back when they’re exposed, instead of hiding behind the guise of, “What would Jesus do?”

Learn From Everything Around You

Morgan said, “When I was young my father taught me how to learn.” Somewhere on that very same journey we forget what we’ve already learned, because we let our guard down, or either we just quit learning all together. For me, I passed on the blame as a substitute for not getting wise counsel and allowing the mind chatter to drown out the voice of God in me.

Well Tracy, I was listening when you said, “The key to longevity is to approach everything you do like it’s the last time you’re going to do it.” From now on I’ll be alert, paying attention to life as it pertains to the many lessons I’ve learned along the way. And you better believe from now on, “I own my mistakes, they’re all mine. No more Christian nice guy, beginning with myself.”

Stay focused. Stay confident and appreciate the art of learning.

LiLTweeks (Lessons I Learned This Week) is a weekly observation of some problems I’ve encountered and possible actions for resolve. If you have been inspired from this article please leave a comment and consider subscribing to the RSS (top right column) to have future post delivered to your feed reader [look for Weekend Post].