I am a teacher. I work very part time these days — only a few hours a week — teaching online courses. Lately, I have been teaching a freshman seminar course on issues such as time management and organization although by trade, I am an English instructor.
Teaching adults (all of my students are at least eighteen although most are in their 30s-50s) gives you quite an insight into human experience, and I have decided over the years that the number one thing humankind needs more than anything is a dose of self-responsibility.
And before you start to think that I’m being all high and mighty and preachy, let me first say that I am just as bad, if not worse, than most people in this regards.
I started thinking about this issue a few weeks ago. I was listening to a religious cd a few weeks ago (they give them away at my church each week) and the author was talking about how when people are told to analyze themselves for areas they can or need to improve on, most people will automatically go to those that they are closest to and think how much better things would be if those people improved on areas they could or should. It’s kind of human nature.
In some ways, I think it’s self preservation. We see areas where missteps have occurred, and we look to others to blame to save our own sense of self.
If we are late somewhere, we blame those going with us or we blame the traffic.
If we are having an argument with someone, we blame their weaknesses for the rift rather than our own.
If we fail to meet a deadline, we blame technology or the weather or our health.
There is always someone to blame. And oftentimes, the blame is properly placed.
But what if we took a few days and tried to abstain from placing blame — either on ourselves or on others. Instead of blaming ourselves for an argument or an accident or a failed procedure, what if we just asked ourselves what we could do to make it better in the future?
With this, we are looking forward rather than backwards. We are focusing on the promise of tomorrow rather than the faults of yesterday.
And next time, I’ll go back to my more standard posts. Sometimes the teacher version of me needs to vent, and when it’s not appropriate in the classroom, I take to other outlets. I do a feel a bit like I just wrote a public service announcement though :-/
“We are focusing on the promise of tomorow rather than the faults of yesterday”. – LOVE this idea… and you’re so right, we’re soooo good at placing blame (mostly on others, but also technology, weather, and ourselves).