05/15/2020
Inspirational Chicken Soup
May 14, 2020
Who Is Your Scapegoat?
“Each of us must earn our own existence. And how does anyone earn anything? Through perseverance, hard work, and desire.” - Thurgood Marshall, Former Supreme Court Justice.
The Old Testament book of Leviticus describes the sacred custom of using a scapegoat once a year to atone for the sins, mistakes, and failures for the Israelite nation. In a solemn ceremony Aaron, the high priest, would lead a goat to the outskirts of the camp. There he would place his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the sins of the Israelite people. Through this symbolic act the goat took on the sins. It was then allowed to escape and wander in the wilderness, presumably to die.
The term scapegoat is still with us today, but it is not used in reference to a sacred ceremony. Now people use it to describe what or who they choose to blame for their problems or mistakes. Some people make scapegoats of their parents; others blame their woes on the government, the economy, their school, their company, or their boss.
Instead of working on what is going on inside them, they try to blame what is going on around them. It’s always easier and more convenient to assume that the answer or the blame lies elsewhere. But life is a do-it-yourself proposition. “We increase our ability and stability,’’ said late rhythm-and-blues great Curtis Mayfield, “when we increase our sense of accountability and responsibility.” You must accept personal responsibility for the quality of your performance. You are responsible for your reaction to the circumstances in your life.
I am responsible for me. I point no fingers, give no excuses, and offer no scapegoats.
Printed with permission of the author, Dr. Dennis Kimbro
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