It's ALLLL You, Baby.

Look at where you're at in your life right now. Everything about it is 100% because of you.

Your job.

Your circle.

Your appearance.

Your house.

Your relationship.

It's alllll you. Your actions. Your inactions. Your reactions. If for one second you're like, 'No, this is due to so-and-so...' I'm gonna stop you right there. You're full of shit. It's nobody's fault but yours. We're so quick to take credit for the good stuff, as we should be. ('Look how hard I worked for that!') but when it comes to a crappy area, or something we don't love about where we're at, it's often someone else's fault. Directly or indirectly.

The blame game is the easy way. Instead of taking responsibility for your situation, you get to stay comfortable. Point the finger at someone else. You don't have to work hard, because it won't matter anyway. You get to stay in that comfort zone, even if it's a miserable one. No effort has to be made on your part, because you can put that all on them. Bleh. Talk about negative.

But what if you decided it WAS up to you to change? If you looked at our crappy situation and went, 'Ya know? It was a pretty crappy hand I was dealt- what can I do about it?' How can I change my circumstances, or my attitude about them?

This is where the hard part comes in. You're going to be uncomfortable. You've gotten this far by being comfortable. Naturally, the change won't always be fun. Go into it knowing this.

Get uncomfortable by changing your routine to include that workout.

Get uncomfortable by choosing to leave your current occupation that makes you cry everyday before work, and pursue that thing you've wanted forever.

Get uncomfortable by telling that toxic person that you're not going to take their shit anymore.

Get uncomfortable by putting your pride away, and being happy about that tiny house you're currently in, while working toward getting that mansion.

Yeah. Ok Brit. You talk a big talk. But do you actually do this?

I do. My mindset has changed completely over the last 2 years. In most of the day to day issues, I analyze and, if needed, change my reaction. That person that totally pissed me off? I know we'll never agree on that topic, so I choose to know that they come from a totally different mindset and background, so we agree to disagree. I'm not wrong. They're not wrong. We're just living our realities. It's uncomfortable to not tell them they're being ridiculous or stupid, but.... that's growth.

Or what about the person that totally pisses me off, and has hurt my feelings? Or is just for real totally wrong? For me, sometimes being uncomfortable is telling them my truth, instead of just swallowing it. It puts it out into the open, and I don't get all insecure and resentful toward them. As long as it's done respectfully and not out of rage, this is a way of changing the situation by getting uncomfortable. I'm not blaming them for making me a pissed off and resentful person.

See how that works, in the little day to day things?

How about a big one though. Like, a career change? Yep. I did that too.

I'm gonna take you way back on this one. I've loved beauty related things for as long as I can remember. When I was a senior in high school, I remember telling my dad I wanted to go to beauty school. His answer? 'You're too smart for that.'

(Now before we get all pissed off at Kent, keep in mind: he came from a different place. He had a super smart, straight A kid, and wanted the best for her. He didn't realize how much hairstylists actually use their brains. He didn't realize the potential for a happy life outweighed the paycheck from some high paying job I got from attending college, like a 'normal' 18 year old kid. But that's a story for a different day! Love you, Dad!)

So what did I do? As the people-pleaser I was at that time in my life, I enrolled in college. I proceeded to get my Associate's Degree, and began a job working in Early Childhood Education. I figured this was a respectable job, and if I was going to move back to my small town after getting married, that's just what ya do there. I'll be a teacher for 30 years and retire. No big deal.

I worked for a few years doing this. It was not a terrible job. It was, in fact, a respectable job, in every way! (I have so much respect for those who shape our youth every single day!) It was my 'don't rock the boat' comfortable. I had just started racking up more student loans to complete my teaching degree online while working at the school. The reality was, though, that I wasn't happy. I knew deep down in my soul that I wasn't thriving. I hated taking those classes. And the longer I did it, the worse it got. I was literally crying every day before work.

Why was I working so hard to move forward with something that I didn't want to do? Something that wasn't fulfilling? Something that was not what I dreamed of doing? Something that made the girl who never cries.... cry?!

Once I had the realization that I couldn't keep going down that road, I decided to get uncomfortable. Suuuuuuper uncomfortable.

I quit my job and enrolled in beauty school.

Yeah, the classes weren't always the most fun. (Chemistry? Electricity chapters? Really?) But guess what? When they were getting me closer to my goal, I was able to push forward, without complaining. Without the 'Poor me. I hate this class.'

Big picture? 'I'm gonna be a cosmetologist, bitchessss! Lesssss gooooo!'

Fast forward to today. I love my job. SO much. Even on the bad days. And Kent is super proud of me. Maybe even more proud than before.

But how did I go from hating and bitching about my job, to loving it?

Simply put? By refusing to blame my dad for my career choices. And by getting uncomfortable. The payoff was HUGE.

So after that entirely too long story...

Think for a second. Do you participate in The Blame Game? What benefits do you get from this? What would happen if you took responsibility?

I can tell you for sure- you'll realize the power you truly have. You begin to understand that by taking responsibility, you have the power to steer your life in any direction you want it to go. You take your power back. How insane is that?

Let's go from helpless, blaming, resentful, negative people to strong, confident, positive, anything-is-possible people. Now THAT would be Luxuriously Dope.