Life comes down to choices. And it seems to me that taking responsibility for our choices, without blaming ourselves or other people for the ones that went awry, can often be a catalyst for positive change and growth in our lives. But in a world where too often people look to blame others for their plight, how do we find the courage to proclaim to ourselves and the world, “I screwed up. This happened on my watch and because of it I’ll learn to be a better person.” Where does the courage to take ownership of our choices come from?

I’ve been thinking about courage a lot lately. It’s a beautiful word, courage. For me, it conjures up thoughts and feelings of strength - of ownership - of the first step in moving life in a new direction. Courage is about positive change. But as we’ve seen all too often, it’s also an elusive ally.

We spend way too much of our precious time being entertained by people blaming other people. A television personality declares, “You’re Fired!” and people cheer. Politicians engage in the blame game and throngs of people join the waring camps so they can point fingers at each other. A star athlete has a bad game and suddenly it’s his or her fault that the team didn’t win.

At what point does “he/she” become “I/me?”

And if we embrace “I/me,” can we do it in a way that moves us forward to greater heights and more abundant lives?

I believe that we can.

Carpe Diem.