Use Response #5

Theme: Use Response #5

Verse: Incline not my heart to evil words; to make excuses in sins. (Psalm 141:4)

Saying: “He that is good for making excuses, is seldom good for anything else.” (Attributed to Benjamin Franklin)

Upon arrival at the United States Air Force Academy in June 1978, I was greeted with an altitude of over 7,000 feet above sea level, a buzz haircut, and a limited choice of vocabulary. We were given five basic responses, the only things that were supposed to come out of our mouths in the presences of upperclassmen. They were 1) Yes, Sir (Ma’am), 2) No, Sir (Ma’am), 3) Sir (Ma’am), may I ask a question (Ironically, we already had), 4) Sir (Ma’am), may I make a statement, and my personal favorite and most often uttered 5) No Excuse, Sir (Ma’am)!

Doolies (which is what freshman are called at the Air Force Academy) rarely get much right. Sometimes even when they are right, they are wrong (if you know what I mean). Response #5 is important for all of us to consider. Learning and embracing it sets us up well to tackle life’s inevitable challenges.

Mistakes are part of our life. Life coaches often suggest we learn more from our failures than our successes. Granted failures don’t feel nearly as good, but they are wonderful teachers.

Excuses, on the other hand, don’t help at all. Excuses NEVER make you better! They don’t change the circumstances of what happened. So, while I don’t wish failures on any of you, understand they are opportunities to TAKE responsibility and MAKE changes. In that way, we exercise a spirit of humility and assume ownership of both the action and the solution.

In that spirit, let’s accept that mistakes are part of life. Try not to make them, but when they occur, remember RESPONSE #5 and not amplify the problem by trying to explain the mistake away with an excuse.

NO EXCUSE, SIR (MA’AM)!

Have a GREAT Week!

Adapted from True Competitor by Dan Britton and Jimmy Page