To a future 'me': Thoughts on excuses

I've never condoned the use of excuses to avoid responsibilities for one's problems. I feel like making excuses for why things didn't go your way is the easy way out of doing everything you can to ensure they DO go your way in the future.

However, after a long discussion with my Mom about why things aren't going my way, in which she divulged every possible excuse I could have come up with, I realized that excuses aren't always deflectors of responsibility. Sometimes they are "band-aids."

For example, saying things like "That's just the way things are." or "It takes time." or "If it's meant to be, then it will work out," when used incorrectly, can cause the person saying them to let go of the things that didn't work out. Instead, I realized, these phrases can be used as a temporary remedy to anxiety over not getting your way. Without this temporary relief, the constant attempts to advance towards your goals can burn you out long before you reach them. Every once in a while, then, it pays to just chalk up your inadequacies to fate....at least for a day.

In my life, this idea manifests itself in my desire to lead a more "free" life. My immediate reaction is to want this lifestyle NOW, before I am too old to enjoy it. However, I've realized that I must first take care of my debts, gain experience in my field, and polish myself as a person before I can take the leap in lifestyle.

So if a future version of myself is reading this, looking for insight in a time of despair, remember this: If it's meant to be, it will work out. It takes time. But, most importantly, only remember these things for a little bit...