How To Take Ownership of Your Life

Have you ever been blamed for something you didn't do? Broke a vase? Ate all the pickles? Cut all the cheese? If you're the person that got blamed, how does that make you feel? You want the culprit to take responsibility for what they did. I guess you could say you want them to own their actions. No one likes people that blame everyone else for their problems. So don't be that people. Don't. Here are four tips to start taking ownership of your life. Number one, realize no one cares. This is not a roast or a stupid meme. This is reality. Outside of your family and a few friends and a Nigerian prince who wants to send you a check in the mail, no one really cares about you that much. The point is no one is going to care about your life like you do. So if you want to have a good life, it's up to you to make it happen. Number two, stop using the word fair. Have you ever heard this? Why isn't my life fair? This is the wrong question. The reason life isn't fair to you is simple. Because life isn't fair to anyone. Life is kind of like gravity. Don't expect it to pull you any direction except for straight down to the burning hot core of the earth. Life treats everyone the same with a bat to the face. Some people get hit harder than others, but everyone gets hit. Everyone has problems. Money problems. Family problems. Relationship problems. Broken phone problems. Diarrhea problems. Dead pig problems. Bad day at work problems. Or the plague. Stop focusing on problems. Complaining is nothing special. If you want to stand out, focus on how you can solve those problems. Number three, know your worst enemy. A lot of people suspect someone is out to get them. The behind every bush, a secret enemy is waiting to stop them from getting good grades or becoming a good athlete or whatever the heck you want. Well, this is true. And if you want to know who that lurking enemy is, go to your nearest sketchy bathroom. Open the door. Turn on the faucet. Wash your hands from the germs you just picked up from the bathroom door. And look in the mirror. You are your own worst enemy. Now, you may be thinking, I love myself. I think positive thoughts about me. That's, that's nice. But loving yourself doesn't mean making a bunch of bad decisions because it feels good. It means doing what's actually best for you. So stop hurting yourself. I mean, come on, you're the one that chose to eat that third bag of chips or that eighth slice of cake. It wasn't some guy in a bush that forced you to fail that exam because you stayed up all night binge watching The Mandalorian. It was you. Stop making excuses for the stupid stuff you do in the name of self-love. Start loving yourself like a true friend. Number four, own your decisions. Nobody wants to be a puppet. People want to be independent. They want to make their own decisions and do their own things and be their own person. But how do you find this freedom? Some people think following their feelings is the path to freedom. So what are you going to do, bro? How are you going to find freedom? I'm going to follow the star in my heart and do whatever I want. Yeah! This works in the movies, but not real life. When are you ever going to feel like doing your homework or eating that salad or feel like doing those 50 push-ups or feel like being a generous and caring person? Unless you're Mother Teresa, you probably won't. And if you are Mother Teresa, that is concerning. The point is, if you follow your feelings, you will not be free. You will be controlled by your feelings, which constantly change and usually compel you to do really stupid things. Freedom comes with discipline, which means instead of your feelings making your decisions, you make your decisions. You! You and only you can prevent stupid fires in your life. You control the brain that's connected to your arm that has the hand with the fingers that are holding that eighth slice of cake. Not your feelings. You don't have to do it. No one's going to force you to do it. People sometimes say, I just couldn't help myself. They made me do it. That does not work in court and that will not work with your creator on Judgment Day or Judge Judy because it's your free will decision. No one else's. You will never be truly free until you stop letting your feelings control you. In summary, the bad news is life isn't fair and things outside of your control will pull you down and beat you up. But the good news is, the one common denominator between you and all your problems is you. And when you take ownership of your own stupid, life still won't be fair, but it'll be a heck of a lot better. So go look yourself in the mirror because it's time to stand up against your own worst enemy. Thank you for watching this how-to video for Prager U. We hope you learned something new. We'll see you next time. Life isn't fair. I got pizza stains in my insides.