One of the distractions our mind uses is the game of blame.
When something threatens the status quo, our mind will often use distraction to avoid that threat. Especially when we’re running old comfortable programs. Why would our mind want to give up those comfie old programs in the face of a threatening change? We’re not wired like that.
We are wired to look for the problem, threat or other negative in our experience. It’s only natural that our mind leverages that wiring when it feels the need to distract.
We’ve all played the game of blame. After all, it’s easier to seek a cause outside of ourselves for whatever is threatening. If we focus our attention on seeking that external cause, we distract ourselves from the internal threat.
But what if that perceived threat is actually an opportunity for growth? A chance to learn and change and grow? Our mind often sees such opportunities as threats and begins its distraction game. We lose the opportunity because we have yet another expectation that drives us to hang on to the status quo.
Don’t Play the Game of Blame
That’s why I have a rule in my life. I won’t play the game of blame. I made that rule when I began working with turnaround clients. The blame game runs rampant in such businesses and it’s just plain counterproductive.
Focusing on placing blame is a waste of time and energy.
Worse yet, it distracts us from stepping into whatever learning or knowledge we can gather from the situation that’s threatening us.
Instead of seeking the positive lessons from the situation, we distract ourselves so that we can stay in our comfortable status quo.
The next time you catch yourself playing the game of blame, just stop. Take responsibility for whatever the issue is if you have to. Just get the blame game off the table. Then ask yourself:
- What lessons can we learn from this experience?
- What can we learn that didn’t work, so we don’t repeat that behavior?
- What were the successes we can model into the future?
Ah, now that the game is over – just look at all those lesson and opportunities to expand, right there on the other side of blame.
