Don't Play the Blame Game

It was him. No, it was her. Anyone else having a flashback to first grade? But Mrs. Whozeewhatzee, it wasn’t my fault. Jimmy started it. Otherwise, I would never have put Ex-Lax in his chocolate pudding.

Pointing fingers didn’t help then and it won’t help now. Be a grownup. Take responsibility for your actions and life situation. It won’t make you feel worse, as you might think. It might actually make you happier.

A study of Harvard graduates revealed that immature defense responses (i.e., blaming) tended to make people sad, while participants who didn’t deny or blame others for their problems were found to be the happiest. Recognize and own your problems. Acknowledging their existence will start you on the path to resolution.

And remember, when you point a finger at someone else there are still three fingers pointing back at you.