Failure - whose fault is it?

Failure in life can be attributed to a host of reasons. What are the reasons you fail? 

Cassius famously said in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, "The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves that are underlings."

But what does it really mean when you say that the fault lies within? What did I do wrong to fail?

One important factor is the cause you attributed to your failure. More importantly, whether that cause was something you could do something about or something beyond you. Allow me to explain. 

Let us say, my son decides he wants to emulate his hero, Messi. He, too, wants to be a football player.

He puts his heart and soul into it, but unfortunately, he can't make it to the playing eleven at his school.At some point, this will reach a critical inflection point.

Who or what does he blame?

I am simplifying, but the causes would fall into two broad categories. Something he can change or something that is beyond his capacity to change.

So, he did not practice enough versus he was not born with the genes of a Messi. 

The difference is crucial. In the first, he can self-correct. He can practice harder. He can practice better. He can hire better coaches. He can upgrade his skills. 

In the latter case, there is nothing he can do about it. After all, genes are immutable, right?

The reasons he attributed to not making the cut would alter his life forever. 

Too often, when something does not go our way, we attribute the reasons to things that are beyond us. You might hear yourself say, "I am simply not cut out for this."

Not always, but sometimes, that is the easy but cowardly way out.

If you held yourself accountable and believed you could change, you would transform. Otherwise, we always have the stars to blame for our failings.

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