Blame vs. Personal Responsibility

I was watching The Frank and Wanda Show and an interesting discussion came up. Frank recieved a letter from a young man in his early 20s discussing how he dropped out of high school and now he can't find a job. He's stressed, he's mad, blah, blah, blah...he wants to sue his parents. PAUSE! How does that work? lol. He wants to sue his parents because they didn't give him what he needed to finish school. Like self-motivation and responsibility I guess??? Anyway, Frank surprised me becuase he kind of agreed with the young man...he was saying something like parents have a responsibility to the child. My question is, at what point does a person have to take responsibility for themselves? At the age of 16 you can make the decision to quit school, and at that point, life truly becomes your own, right? I think so.

More after the jump!


What made me upset was that I felt like this young man wasn't taking responsibility for his own decisions; instead he wanted to blame his parents for the way his life turned out. Did he decide to drop out or did his parents force him to quit school? I'm sure it wasn't the latter. But before I finish pointing fingers, I must admit that I've been guilty of doing that very thing. Blaming. Part of the reason I am who I am today is because of things that happened to me in my past. I hated my childhood, the grade-school part of it anyways, because some kids really are cruel. There were plenty of times when I wanted to quit school, but I was aware of the consequences. In the beginning I blamed people from my past for my present; I had to learn to take control of my life, forgive certain people and move on. I could have easily given up, but I realized that at the end of the day my life is just that, my life.

Getting back to the original story, that young man's life is his life now, not his parents. Did he try to get his GED? Did he apply for jobs at places like Walmart or McDonald's? What problems will suing his parents solve? Is he just desperate for money? Finally, isn't he a grown man? People like him need to simply own up to their mistakes and move one. God helps those who help themselves. Please remember that. At some point in life we all have to become adults and live in the present because living in the past and blaming others will only block opportunities. Even if your blaming of someone is justifiied, forgiveness is necessary. Forgive, move on, and take responsibility and control of the life you have now; you owe it to yourself.

To conclude, I'll leave you with a quote by Jim Rohn:

"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of." 

- Jerz