Excuses! Excuses! Why is it that we make excuses for little things instead of just

 

finding a solution? Instead of playing the role of a Victim and acting as if there is no

 

better outcome for things, have a Creator's mindset and find a solution to

 

accomplish whatever it is that needs to be accomplished. According to Dr. Skip

 

Downing, having a Victim mindset does not allow people to reach for a better

 

outcome in life. Having a Creator mindset enables people to pretty much

 

accomplish anything they want and need to without excuses (3). Life is all about

 

choices, good or bad. My choice is to become more of a Creator and less of a

 

Victim.

 

    Professor David Mirman’s article in his teaching blog titled, “ Do You Think Like a

 

Victim or a Creator?”, gives an example of a true situation of a Victim and a Creator.

 

In this blog, Professor David Mirman uses the responses from two students, one

 

who play the Victim and one who acts as the Creator. The blog shows the readers

 

the difference between someone who victimizes themselves, which is the student

 

that makes the most excuses, versus someone who is able to take control of a

 

situation and fix it in order to do what needs to be done, like the student who finds

 

the solution to her problem, by explaining the thought process of both the Victim

 

and The Creator.

 

    I have to admit, I have played the Victim role in the past. Becoming a college

 

student was pretty rough for me. I had the opportunity before to do everything I

 

needed to do in order to go back to school, but instead I made excuses. I wasn’t

 

sure about what I wanted to study so I used that excuse often. Then, when that

 

excuse was played out out, I started to blame the FAFSA website for being too

 

difficult. I didn’t complete it. I also put off using my tuition assistance, provided by

 

the military, by saying that it was just too complicated and that I would do it later.

 

Later never came. I was so busy making excuses and blaming everything else that I

 

didn’t accomplish my goal then. David Mirman says, “...Resolve to ask “What can I

 

do to make this better?” instead of “whose fault is this?”. Resolve to ask “How can I

 

reach my goal despite this situation or obstacle?” instead of complaining about the

 

situation.”. I wish I would have asked myself these questions then. I would have

 

been more of a Creator.

 

    An example of a Creator who I personally know is my boyfriend, Ruben. Ruben

 

has always been someone who figure out a solution to any problem. I can honestly

 

say he has never made excuses for things. A while ago, we were a little tight on

 

money. Any other person could have easily been okay with that. Ruben told himself

 

that it was not okay and that we needed to fix it so he picked up a second job and

 

started to save better in order to make things right for us. Anyone else could have

 

told themselves that they would be fine, that it's temporary. Ruben wasn't fine and

 

wanted to make sure that temporary was just that. He’s a problem solver in my

 

eyes. He is a Creator and always will be.

 

    Learning about the difference in a Creator mindset and a Victim mindset has

 

opened my eyes. It made me realize that I want to be a Creator. I will not make silly

 

excuse or blame anything or anyone for things that I am just putting off. I will figure

 

out a solution to any obstacle that may come my way. I do plan on applying the

 

creator mindset to everything I do in my life. Since I have started on this path of

 

becoming a Creator, things are a lot easier. I am a Creator, no more excuses. What

 

will you choose?