No Excuses

Am I part of the cure?  Or am I part of the disease?  (Coldplay)

This week I read a wonderful blog post over at No Meat Athlete regarding responsibility, apologies, and excuses.   Honestly, there isn't really anything new within the post, but the way that it was written and given where I have been at in my own thinking, it helped me to look at some things in a different light.  Initially, the post discusses accepting responsibility for our training, but ultimately, the writer helps me to see that excuses and responsibility for my actions goes so much deeper than just my training.

Whatever happens, I am responsible.

One might say that they can not be responsible for everything that happens.  After all, things happen that are well outside of our control.  What we ARE responsible for, however, is how we approach the given situation.  Even in the worst of scenarios, we choose how we will react, how we will act.

My trust in God isn't any less, in fact, I feel that this could help strengthen my relationship with Him.  If I truly trust in His Providence, the only decisions I need to make is how I look upon the struggles and blessings each day brings.  Will I be a victim, will I be resentful, spiteful, pitiful, industrious, joyful, peaceful?  The choice is mine, and with that choice comes responsibility for what I have chosen.  If I chose poorly, I can choose to change my choice!  And if apologies are needed, they don't need excuses attached to them.  

If I make a choice that I am not entirely sure was the best one I could have made, do I make apologies along with excuses to justify that decision, or do I accept that I made a decision that wasn't the best and learn from it?

When I apologize to someone for something, to I automatically add in an excuse to try and smooth things over for myself and/or the situation?  As Matt suggests, "keep the sorry, lose the excuse".

As far as training is concerned, I have a choice to make each and every day.  Do I choose to run, cross-train, rest, recover?  I have that choice and once the choice is made, I am responsible for all ramifications of that choice be it whatever it may be.  Do I choose to use food as filler or as fuel?  Whatever my decision, my body will not allow me to forget what that choice was and I am responsible for the choice I made.

I have made a personal pledge to adopt this thinking into not only my training, but my life.  I will embrace the decisions I make as mine.  I will make an effort to apologize when needed and not excuse to justify.  I will change what I can rather than sulk about a given situation.  And if I choose to do nothing, I will still have made a choice. (Thank you, Geddy Lee!)