Time For a Reality Check!

Do you know anyone that says "I'm not negative, I'm realistic?"

I have a couple of friends of mine who say this all the time. I say to them BULL! It's time for all these people to have a "reality" check.

Saying you are just being realistic, in my opinion, is you being lazy and not taking ownership and responsibility for your own life. If you don't have what you want, if you hate your job, if you are in a lousy relationship, you are doing so because you choose to do so. Your reality is what YOU make of it.

These people let the outside world influence their emotions, decisions and life in general. It's everyone else's fault. They never look at themselves to realize that they are in complete control and they are choosing to stay the way they are.

Here is a perfect example. At my last job I never took a day off. We could accumulate up to 240 hours of PTO in one year. When I left my job I had 240 hours of PTO and lost all but 80 hours of it. Why did I have 240 hours of PTO? I told myself "because I'm dedicated to this job and we are busy" or "I don't feel like they really want me to take time off because there is too much work and that will only put us behind." Blah, Blah, Blah.

What's the REAL reaso
I had 240 hours of PTO? Because I CHOSE to never take it. It wasn't my job's fault, my bosses fault, etc... It was MY fault. I didn't take the time. I made excuses but in "reality" I chose to work. I really felt that if I didn't take time off my bosses would see how dedicated I was and really appreciate me as an employee. Did they? Nope. So, instead, I became stressed, irritable and burned out.

What is YOUR reality? Are you making excuses? Are you letting the outside world and circumstances control your life? Really look at yourself and be honest. If you find yourself saying "I'm just realistic" then you are probably not really owning up.

Take control of your life. Know what you want, why you want it and go get it! Stop making excuses and do it!

When you finally realize you are the one in control, I promise things will change. They have for me in drastic ways. Ways I never could have imagined and I only see things getting better.

So, do your own reality check and choose to have a new and better reality.