Don't blame it on the moonlight

I'm often amazed at the number of people lamenting about the difficult conditions today. They complain about their suppliers, their wholesalers and of course, their customers. Then they move on to the economy, the internet, AFTA, IMF and of course, the ultimate-fall-guy-for-all-the-problems- facing-the-world today - Al-Qaeda recruiters.
And at the same time, I too see folks that are doing well - incredibly well - despite all the negative things mentioned earlier. Somehow, the two don't click. If times were really hard, then all of us would be in trouble. If the economy were really tanked, then all of us would be drowning. Hey, after all we are in the same pothole.
But no, some people are doing extremely well. And as I do know some of these people, I can tell you that they are not from a different planet. They are facing the same problems the rest of us are facing. The same cannons - AFTA, white men and cheap labor from China - are pointing at them just as much as they do at you and I.
Except that these folks don't complain. They accept it, roll up their sleeves and then go out there and do their stuff. In other words, they roll on regardless of what is happening in the outside world. And almost always, these rollers are the ones that are raking in the money. Good times, bad times, recession, depression, war - it doesn't matter. They will still be raking in the money.
But I do understand why most - as in ninety percent - stand in the corner and complain. It's easy. It's easy to condemn, complain and criticize. It doesn't require effort, brains, ability and yes, not even money. Which is why so many are doing it. Which is also why their names will not be in the Forbes Richest Men in Malaysia list.
But if you want more, then you have to rise above the sheep. Stop complaining, and go ahead and do what is it that you want to do. Sure, you will make mistakes and sure, you will stumble and fall. And yes, some may even complain, criticize...and you know the rest of the line. But so what? Colonel Sanders was turned down over a thousand times before somebody took on his offer to market his chicken recipe. Thomas Edison failed over 14,000 times before perfecting the light bulb.
I started to rake in money the day I accepted responsibility for my actions. That means that I accepted that all the bad, negative and rainstorms in my life were because of my own doing. The harsh reality is this - nobody forced me to spend all my money. No one pointed a gun to my head and forced my to buy anything. Nobody forced me to buy shares in useless companies, buy fancy cars that I cannot afford and no one forced me to live beyond my means. In other words, I was broke because I - and only I - did it to myself.
So I decided to own up when I made mistakes. I decided that I would not blame anyone for all the wrong moves that I knew I was going to make. I will not blame the situation, the government, the economy, Satan or even fate. I will blame Azizi Ali.
And I will tell you this: the moment I accepted responsibilities for all my actions, I started to make real money.
Despite the hailstorm that would rain down on me by doing the above (that I know some of you are thinking), actually the opposite happened. The mistakes became less. The errors became few and far between. And yes, the wins became grander. The winnings became bigger.
Then I discovered another thing: there is always a place - a lofty spot - for a person who accepts responsibilities for his actions. In a world where everyone is quick to point the finger to another party, the person who is willing to take responsibilities will be welcomed with open arms.
So, stop blaming your woes on external parties and events. Don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame it on the bad times - blame it on the man in the mirror.
The good thing is this: if you accept responsibility for the bad things in your life, it also means that you are the one responsible for all the good things - big house, fancy car, beautiful wife, good health, good friends and the mountain of gold - in your life! And isn't that what all of us want?
-Azizi Ali-