Have you learned from the lessons that everyday life has tossed out? Do you look at what life has to offer as challenges, but approach them as opportunities? If so, I would wager that you do learn from your experiences. If on the other hand you are more apt to place blame on yourself or others, use excuses to explain a circumstance, or prefer to be a spectator in life, then you are probably missing out on some awesome opportunities!

I know that we cannot accept the blame for everything that occurs in life. But, just because you can't accept the blame does not mean that you can assign it to someone else. Why give them the control over a situation? Things happen, but it is up to each of us to use these things to our advantage whenever possible and take charge of our lives. It is our responsibility to use whatever tools are at our disposal to achieve the goals we set, no matter the obstacle.

Meet Sam. Sam has led a tough life. She left home at a young age, lived on the streets, yet she still managed to make the most of her life. She went to college, earned several degrees, and has a successful career in banking. Sam DID learn the lesson's of life, and paid attention ... unlike Andrew. Andrew also did not have an easy time of it while he was growing up, but instead of allowing his circumstances to fuel his desire to achieve and succeed, he allowed them to be limiting. He focused on how rough his young life was, how unfairly he was treated, and how much he was owed due to his wronged past. Needless to say, Andrew has not found success. In fact, just when things look like they are about to turn around for him, Andrew's attitude becomes a weapon of self-sabotage. Andrew has thoroughly mastered the art of laying blame, but not the lesson of accepting responsibility for oneself. Andrew, for now, seems quite comfortable living his life at the ends of a puppeteers strings instead of controlling his own destiny. Isn't it funny how two people raised in the same house, with the same influences, react to similar situations? So are you a Sam or an Andy?

How do you react to the things that life dishes out? If you find yourself wondering how you made it to this point in your life, or questioning how to get to a different point, just ask yourself if you've been the driver or the passenger thus far. There is a saying, "there is no such thing as an accident." Now, I don't believe that things only get dropped "on purpose", but I do believe that the things that occur in life do not just happen. We have the power to control our lives by accepting responsibility for what shows up, and using each experience as a learning tool. Reach for the throttle, and more success will follow. So I'll leave you with just one piece of advice, V-ROOM!