"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." -  Albert Einstein

Success requires proper thinking.  Notice in this famous quote how Einstein, without stopping to defend his supposition, as if it were just the most obvious thing in the world, basically says that our thinking created our significant problems. 

Our thinking?

If you listen to many of the political pundits these days you would not be lead to believe that our thinking created our significant problems.  Rather you would learn that our parents are to blame, or the our ancestors, or the color of our skin, or our socio-ecomic standing, or American imperialism, or an unfair educational system, or tax breaks for the rich, or . . . .  all of these reasons and more are sold to the American public as the reason for the significant problems we face.  It follows naturally, then, if the problems are not your fault, they must be somebody else's.  This would naturally then extend to mean that someone else is responsible for fixing them!  Oh, how "the people" love this kind of stuff!  Anyone who comes along and blames their problems on others, relieves them of personal responsibility for fixing them, and promises easy solutions "if you vote for me" has a ready-made following.

Unpopular, however, is the person that dares to suggest that people are the creator of their own problems.  First, that would require getting people to admit responsiblity – always a dangerous thing.  Second, it would imply that the person himself would be responsible for fixing his problems – shear heresy!  Third, it would feel harsh and unfair, and you know how sensible our feelings are these days.

Am I being tongue-in-cheek?  Do you think so?  Sadly, I don't think so.

Step One in successful thinking is realizing that we are responsible.  We might not be entirely to blame, but that is beside the point.  Blame never accomplishes anything.  We, and we alone, are responsible for our conduct and our results.  Any time we try to assign that responsibility to others we lose freedom on the altar of negligence.  As we allow someone else power over our results, we give them proportional power over our conduct.  It can work no other way.

Step Two is realizing that thinking is what produces problems or gains.  Our actions flow from our thinking, and our results flow from our actions.  Our thinking is what is responsible.

So how do we take control of our lives and utilize our freedom?  By learning to think properly about success, personal responsibility, and the results we have in our lives.  By confronting brutal reality as it actually is, then owning up to the steps we can take to make an impact on that reality.  The way out of our problems is neither blaming others nor asking for their help in digging out, but rather learning to think better than we did when we made our messes originally, then changing behavior accordingly.  It is difficult, but it is the only way out of an endless cycle.  As the saying goes, "If you want to change some things in your life, you've got to change some things in your life."  Try starting with your thinking. 

Just think about it :)