No excuses!

So I just finished reading a book I picked up at the Toastmasters International Convention in Phoenix. The author was our keynote speaker, W Mitchell. And yes, that is his full and legal name – not W. or William, just W Mitchell.

His story is simply amazing (to quote our Past International President Johnny Uy)! He survived two horrific, wrenching, life-threatening accidents that would put most of us on the road to eternal self-pity. You know, that constant, bitter “Why me?” attitude. But the philosophy he developed along his journey was stated in the title of his speech, and in the title of his book: It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do about it.

No matter what blows life metes out, what hardships we encounter, the result depends ONLY on how we perceive and react to events. We often allow ourselves to be imprisoned by limitations we impose upon ourselves. Mitchell refused to live in a prison of self-imposed limits. He allowed his spirit to soar and learned to handle adversity with gentle good humor by taking control of his life, by taking action to make the lives of others better. His philosophy is quintessentially existentialist: our actions are ours alone, and we are free to act as we please.

At the core of his belief is that we must take action. He challenges each of us to take charge of our lives, to take action to improve our own lives and those of others. He does not accept excuses, something I learned as a 17-year-old at Norwich University. “There are only 3 responses to any inquiry: “Yes, sir!”, “No, sir!” and “No excuse sir!” (There weren’t that many ma’ams around my school at that time.)

What are you blaming on someone else right now? Are you taking full responsibility for the course of your life? What limits are you building around your life? What is keeping you from taking action?