Are You A Victim or A Creator?

 

              Are you the type of person who blames your problems on others or a person who accepts responsibility and never falls Victim to oneself? We have all played the Victim role and we may not even realize it. A Victim is someone who blames others, never accepts responsibility, and limits oneself from opportunities that they could have achieved (Mirman). We need to adopt a Creator's mindset, accept responsibility, and take action to achieve what we want because we have numerous amounts of choices in life. I choose to be a Creator because I can create my outcomes and have ownership in what I have achieved.

 

              Professor David Mirman told a story of J. Brennan's class, where Brennan's assigned his class to get a textbook required for the course (Mirman). Unfortunately, the bookstore ran out of th textbook and two students were not able to get the required textbook. The first student was being a Victim because she blamed the bookstore and gave up instead of giving it another chance at looking for the textbook and coming up with a plan of action. The second student is being a Creator because she knows that she needs the textbook and she continues to search for the book instead of waiting on the bookstore to receive more copies. The second student went to another college, called around to numerous places, and searched other bookstores until she found it online. She is a Creator because she took a different approach on the situation and found a way to take action so that she could be responsible for what she needed for class. Student two did not blame her not being able to get the book from the campus bookstore on someone else like student one did. Instead she asked herself what can I do to get the book that I need for class. Student two found a copy of the book online for a cheaper price and had it shipped to her in enough time so she could be prepared for class. Student one showed up to class without the required textbook and continued to blame others for her being a Victim and she continued to wait for the bookstore to receive more copies.

 

            Victims are people who do not feel in control of the outcomes and events in their lives (Downings 42). There have been plenty of times when I played the Victim role. I've blamed others for my problems or mistakes and gave up when things weren't going how I thought they should. By not taking action or coming up with another plan or solution, I have limited myself. A time when I played the Victim role was when I broke my ankle. I blamed it on my dog because she was trying to run down the stairs and go out the front door. I ended up tripping, fell down all the stairs and broke my ankle. To be a Creator I shouldn't have blamed my dog but should have blamed myself. If I would have slowed down and paid more attention going down the stairs, my outcome would have been totally different. From that situation I've learned to take my time, be more aware of my surroundings and to think more like a Creator and not a Victim. Now that I have explained about a time I played the Victim role I'm going to explain what a Creator is and who I think well fits the description.

 

            Dr. Downings says a Creator is a person who consistently makes the choices which create the favorable outcomes that they wish to achieve (Downing 42). Someone who I would say has the mindset of a Creator would be my Mom. She accepts everything with responsibility through her work and takes action to overcome the most difficult challenges like raising three children alone. When faced with an obstacle, she doesn't just limit herself because she knows that there are many choices/options. If she happens to do something wrong or makes a mistake, she takes ownership in what she does by admitting she was wrong and doesn't blame others. She never subjects herself to be a Victim because she knows that she can control the outcomes of any problem or situation that she faces. If she doesn't know what to do she takes the time to ask herself "What can I do to achieve my goal?" or "How can I make this situation better?" She works hard and never gives up until she achieves her goals. My Mom showed that she was a Creator when she lost her job. Instead of giving up and blaming the company for closing, she took initiative and found another job with a higher paying salary within less than two weeks. From my Mother I have learned that even when things are at there worst I have to consistently make positive choices to receive favorable outcomes.

 

           I choose to be a Creator, I can create my outcomes and achieve everything I want through school and work if I adopt the mindset of a Creator. To be a Creator I need to know that I am in control of the outcomes and events within my life. I will consistently have to make smart choices within my education so I can achieve my goals and not fall Victim to myself. Dr. Downings says a Creator creates their own outcomes and by seeing how my mother is a Creator it only makes me want to create and achieve so much more in life through my education so I can have a successful career (Downings). I will not let life circumstances like negative people and bad decisions limit my choices, but I will create a plan and achieve my goals.

 

Works Cited

Downings, Skip. On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life. Boston: Wadsworth, 2014.

 

Mirman, David. "Do You Think like a Victim or a Creator?" You Are The Prime Mover. 2 Jan. 2012. Webg. 9 Sept. 2014. <http://youaretheprimemover.com/2012/do-you-think-like-a-victim-or-a-creator>.