Just Passing the Buck

I used to take care of children as a nanny. During that time there was one particular incident that had stayed in the back of my mind. This young child that I was taking care of had just passed by a wall. She ran into the wall then turned around and slapped at the wall with her hand. I asked her what she was doing and she stated that her mom had told her that if she ran into the wall then to just hit it. Now, it made an impact on me because her mom was essentially telling her to blame the wall for her own actions.

Hmmmmm…..

I really couldn’t just let that go. It sounded too much to me like she was not understanding the consequences of her actions and if anyone who has read my blog knows, I don’t like that at all. So, after she had told me what her mom had said, I proceeded to tell her that the wall had always been there and her job was to go around the wall. If she wanted to blame anyone then she needed to blame herself for not being more careful. Oh, and by the way, this little girl has turned out to be a very beautiful and productive citizen now.

The point that I’m trying to make here is that there are too many people in the world who like to pass the buck or blame someone or something else for the choices that they themselves have made. Ever heard the phrase, “They can’t see the forest for all the trees.”? Yeap, these are those sort of people. Unfortunately, I have been seeing that many of these same people are those who are in positions of power (government) and influencers, such as some of those in Hollywood.

The problem that I have with these sorts of people is that, right now, the choices that they’ve made haven’t hurt them. They’re insulated because of their power and wealth. However, it does affect those who aren’t powerful or wealthy. And that just boils my blood. Fortunately for us, the thing that they aren’t counting on is the fact that we have been watching and understanding more now than ever before. I also have begun to truly see that there are more of us than there are of them. So, ultimately, we are more powerful because we can see them for who they truly are and can take action to change where we want to go. (Related post: Correcting Our Course).

So, what did I learn from this? I have to be selective in whom I trust. I need to know that they have my best interest in mind. I need them to show me through their actions and not just listen to their words. I also know that actions speak so much louder than words ever can. I also know that if I don’t trust them now, I will never trust them and I need to look out for my own self-interest and what is best for my family, friends, and my country.

What can you gain from this? Pay attention to what is going on around you. Listen carefully to what is being said and compare that to their actions. If you are starting to get uncomfortable with what you are seeing then realize that there is a reason for that. Your instincts are trying to tell you that this is not a friend. They only want you because they think that they can influence you to vote for them or to go along with what they are saying. These very same people will turn on you in a heartbeat when you start to question them about their actions. Trust should never, ever, be given blindly. That’s how you get burned.