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Making Lemonade Out of Lemons: A Lesson in Taking Ownership

Author

Kevin Ng
December 26, 2024

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where everything went wrong, and your first instinct was to point fingers at everyone but yourself?

Maybe you missed an important deadline because "the email went to spam," or showed up late to a meeting because "traffic was terrible." I recently had one of those moments that taught me a valuable lesson about ownership.

I was eagerly looking forward to a cruise to decompress. I had double-checked everything I thought I needed before flying to Orlando. But when we got to the cruise terminal, something went terribly wrong. The agents asked for my green card - which I had left at home. Since we wouldn't be able to re-enter the States without it, I was denied boarding.

My initial reaction? Blame Royal Caribbean's website. Their technical issue had prevented me from expanding a section about required travel documentation, and I had relied solely on their heading stating that passports were best in most situations. I wanted so badly to blame them for my missed vacation.

BUT HERE’S THE TRUTH: if I hadn't given up so easily when I couldn't find the information I needed, I would have looked elsewhere and discovered I needed my green card. The website's technical issue may not have been my fault, but how I responded to it was entirely on me.

This experience taught me something powerful: taking ownership of problems, even when they don't seem entirely our fault, can actually be empowering. When we accept problems as our own, we gain the ability to prevent them from happening again. If I had continued blaming Royal Caribbean's technical issues, I'd remain vulnerable to similar mistakes in the future.

I've realized this year that taking ownership of problems is a significant level-up in terms of life quality. It's not about beating yourself up - it's about recognizing that you have control over how you respond to situations. I'm no longer at the mercy of circumstances; I'm in control of my destiny. I just need to figure out how to get there.

I'm curious about your experiences. Have you ever faced a situation where taking ownership, even when it wasn't entirely your fault, led to personal growth? How did it change your perspective?

Until next time, keep owning your journey!
Kevin Ng

P.S. Sometimes our biggest mistakes lead to our most important lessons. What lesson are you grateful for learning the hard way?

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