Exuses as Motivators

     Great motivational bracelet isn't it? "It is what it is", or "Relax, shit happens and it's out of your control" It seems like a really great message for a stressful day. One of my managers had a habit of saying it when we ran out of something, or when things went crazy or pretty much any difficult situation. She always shrugged her shoulders and had a very defeated (albeit defiant) expression on her face. You could tell she hated the situation but she really didn't see anything she could do about it so she let it go.

     She allowed herself be a victim."It is what it is" shows a defeatist frame of mind and insinuates that life has put you in a situation and you have no control or choices and allows you to deny responsibility for the outcome. Unless you are in a coma or otherwise debilitated and someone else holds the controls for your life, that is NEVER the case. As a manager, she could call people in. She could borrow or purchase supplies to get us through or post a notice about whatever we were out of. She could offer discounts. She HAD options. Allowing the situation to spiral out of control was a conscious decision. Life did not make a hopeless situation, she chose to relinquish control.

     I want a t-shirt that says "It is what you make it"- it's much more proactive. "It is what it is" is the mind frame of a victim. It's more of an excuse than a motivator. Seize fate by the horns. Take responsibility and make life what you want it to be.

     After all, it is what you MAKE it.