Youre Not a Victim--Really!

Woe is me... life has dealt me a bad hand... the stars are aligned against me... whine, whine, whine! Get over it! You are not the innocent victim of some terrestrial scheme. You are a victim of only one thing... YOU!

In a litigious society, we have been made to believe that all of us are victims of something. From coffee that wasn't labeled "hot" to ice that wasn't labeled "cold", we seem to be constantly on the lookout for that one opportunity that will allow us to rightly claim our status as victims. We're raising our kids to believe it, too!

This is why manufacturers of small electrics have warning labels that are larger than the items warning us in twelve languages not use the electric device while in the shower. How many functioning brain cells must a person have in order to think that drying his or her hair while in the shower is a good idea in the first place?

What we lack in our society is the ability to connect future consequences with potential actions. What will happen tomorrow or a week from now if I ________________? We've been conditioned to ignore that question. Salespeople know that their worst enemy is the brain of a potential customer. If they can lock in the sale before your brain kicks in, you'll sign up for their spectacular financing offer that looks a lot like a revolving charge card with 29 percent interest.

Yet, those people who park their brains and take the bait often scream because they can't make their payments or the payments outlasted the item. Duh! They never thought about the consequences of their actions. They never investigated the claims of the salesperson. They never read the fine print on the lease agreement. They aren't victims of the system; they are victims of their own actions.

So, how do you avoid the negative consequences of today's potential stupidity?

Slow down and think!

Take responsibility for your actions!

Fix the problem!

Learn from your mistakes!

Remember, you can't dig your way out of a hole!

I met a young lady who was lamenting her bad personal situation. She was living in a small apartment with her young daughter, living off of her parents, and struggling to get by. She claimed to be a victim of a big, bad world.

But she wasn't a victim of anything but her own actions. Here's the rest of the story. She got pregnant shortly before her high school graduation and married the father in a hurry-up/cover-up wedding. She whined because she was not able to be "typical" so her mother kept the baby while she pretended she was single and had no responsibilities. She subsequently divorced the father and allowed her new boyfriend to move in with her. Meanwhile, her mother still is caring for the child.

She never took personal responsibility for her decisions to: (1) get pregnant; (2) get married; (3) run around on her husband; (4) get divorced, and; (5) allow the boyfriend to move in.

Was she a victim? Yeah... but not a victim of the system! Think about it!

Dr. Terry Hadaway is a leading expert in adult behavior and an accomplished author. Visit http://www.thinkezine.com for more about his work and to see more of his articles.

licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..

In The News:

Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.

New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.

Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.

The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.

Moving and downsizing expose seniors to identity theft and scams as data brokers collect real estate records and personal information to sell to criminals.

ShengShu's Vidar technology revolutionizes humanoid robot training by using AI-generated synthetic video, reducing required training data from hours to just 20 minutes.

Youre Not a Victim--Really!

Positive Attitude Tips