Excuses
You're better off not making them
One of the most embarrassing moments at the Oscar’s was in 2014 when John Travolta butchered Idina Manzel’s name. Please watch it here:
But what was more embarrassing was when Travolta went on Jimmy Kimmel and tried to make excuses for why he messed it up so badly:
How pathetic and ridiculous does he sound here?
It was the broken elevator!
It was the messed up time!
It was the page!
It was Goldie Hawn!
It was the spelling!
It wasn’t how it was rehearsed!
In under 2 minutes, Travolta gave no less than six excuses and implicitly or explicitly shifted the blame to dozens of other people.
Then he says that his mistake was a good thing!
I didn’t mess up.
And if I did, it wasn’t my fault.
And if it was, then it’s a good thing, actually.
When you make BS excuses you sound like Travolta in this interview.
What would have sounded better?
He could have said, “I totally blew it because I misread the teleprompter. I am really embarrassed, and I apologized to Idina after the show.”
He could have taken accountability.
But he decided to sound like a narcissistic weasel instead.
Let John Travolta’s mistake be a cautionary tale for you.
Don’t sound like a narcissistic weasel; take ownership and accountability for your mistakes.
Have a great week!
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Some of my older writings that are much better than I remember them!
Right on.
My wife’s uncle was a big time Division I basketball coach. He had a rule that if you were late for the bus taking the team to a game you’d have to wait an equivalent number of minutes before you could get into the game, even if you were a starter and even if you had a valid excuse like the elevator breaking down while you were coming down from the 20th floor. The rule was tied to his overarching position on the necessity of team members being responsible to each other. Being on time was basically the only thing he asked that was entirely in your control. he was willing to lose (and actually did) lose a game to highlight the importance of accountability to teammates
The only exception I know of was when some players stopped to help an injured person before help arrived and thus delayed departure for the arena.
Excuses are no better than lies. Both are fictional, intended to deceive and put out as cover to that which is real.
Embrace truth. Embrace reality.