Not to be too over-dramatic with the title of this post... I do that sometimes. I have also become more accustomed to driving straight to the point when I'm given an audience, so let's jump in.
I got a chance to visit with several inmates recently of the county jail variety. Interesting group of people. Thieves. Robbers. Drug dealers and addicts. All kinds and types that society has deemed unworthy of walking among us. (I'll talk about that another time. There's a prison ministry out there for me somewhere, I think...) Some of them are going to be a part of the United States Prison Industrial Complex forever. Some of them are going to turn their lives around and become role models for their families and loved ones. Some will go on to do great things for society.
I can tell you in about two minutes of conversation who belongs in which category. Maybe less. But maybe I'm being over-dramatic again? I don't think so. I think I've got this one pegged. From what I can tell the difference in where you go in life after experiencing a setback comes down to one thing: Do you accept responsibility or do you blame someone, anyone else?
I've seen a lot of anger and unforgiveness. Rage. Loneliness. Burning desires for vengeance and violence. Bad stuff. Only from those who are blaming someone else for where they find themselves. Nastiness. And not just from people who are behind bars either. I've seen a lot of this nastiness in people's homes, churches, schools. You see the outcomes on the news nightly.
On the other hand, I've seen growth. Renewal. Grace. Forgiveness. Peace. Only from those who have accepted that their lives are 99% the results of the choices that THEY'VE made. These are the people who become people you're proud to know. They've learned that the mirror is their friend. No more blaming others for what only they can control. It's a beautiful thing.
Your life is what you've made it. That means you can make it different. If you decide to. It's truly up to you. If you're busy blaming someone else, you're not making any progress at all. I promise you.
Mark Anthony McCray helps people live on PURPOSE, achieve higher PERFORMANCE and experience true PROSPERITY. Be sure to subscribe to this blog so you don't miss a thing and forward this to a friend if you found it helpful. All material © Copyright, Mark Anthony McCray unless otherwise noted!
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