In this moment, a life-threatening disease is sweeping the planet. This deadly disease affects the average person and spreads like wildfire. It is likely that your friends are infected with this disease and don’t even know it. You could be next.

What is this disease? It’s called “excusitis,” and it’s been dubbed, “the disease of the failures.”

In his classic book, “The Magic of Thinking Big,” author David J. Schwartz describes excusitis as a mind-deadening thought disease that is caused by making excuses. He describes how excusitis explains the difference between a person who is going places and a person who is barely getting by. The more successful the person, the less inclined he or she is to make excuses.

What excuses do you hide behind? Have you labeled yourself too sick, dumb, old, or poor to achieve what you really want in life? Do you blame others for your failures? Or have you simply summed it all up to “bad luck?”

Or perhaps you’ve become so hypnotized by the plague that making excuses feels normal. If this is the case, it might be a good idea to take charge of your own environment and find some new friends.

The most common excuse that I make is “I don’t know how.” But you know what? That’s a load of Canada goose poop. Even if I don’t know how, I am free to find someone who does. Or I could take five minutes to tune into my intuition and ask for guidance, remembering that the Universe knows how to do more things than Martha Stewart.

The good news is that all of us can be vaccinated from excusitis. All we have to do is decide to stop making excuses. Here are 3 tips to do just that.

How to Vaccinate Yourself Against Excusitis:

 

1. Own Your Power.

If you like to make excuses, chances are you have underestimated your own power. Realize that all the mental energy you expend making excuses could instead be used to fuel creative ideas.

Take responsibility for yourself and your life. You are where you are because of your own thoughts, beliefs and choices. You are an artist and your life is your masterpiece. If your canvas is looking a little messy, consider it a Jackson Pollock and begin again.

 

2. Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously.

Life is supposed to be fun. Seriously.

If your life sucks, have a chuckle at it. Turn that frown upside down. You block yourself from receiving new ideas and solutions to your problems when you take yourself too seriously. You’re also prone to making excuses and blaming other people when things don’t go your way.

So lighten your load by laughing at yourself.

 

3.  Be Grateful.

You will have no time to make excuses if you are instead directing your attention at what you have to be grateful for. The side effect of this is that your life will begin to perk up almost immediately.

Excuse makers often share one thing in common: they are pessimists. By focusing on what you are grateful for, you’ll transform yourself into an optimist and ditch the excuses at the same time. Easy as pie.

My point is this: if you’re constantly making excuses, you are selling yourself short. What really matters in life is not where you’ve been but where you are in this moment. Are you ready to stop making excuses and start cultivating joy?  Then get to it.

 

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KB is a blogger & spiritual superhero from London, Ontario, Canada.  She loves getting tattooed, petting greyhounds and practicing Anusara yoga.  She is the author of A Beginner’s Guide to Affirmative Thinking. 

link: The Blog of KB.