Oftentimes, when we are sitting in the midst of a mistake, a problem, a disappointment, or what we in the consciousness world describe as a nonproductive consequence of a sequence, we might look around for someone to blame for this dilemma. It could be an individual we blame or a collective of individuals within our environment or even society at large that receives our blame.

This attempt to pass blame demonstrates our inability to accurately respond to the many layers of our current phase of experiencing our feelings.

We believe that they are coming from outside. But when we are truly able to experience these feelings, we then realize they all arise from within, and every one of them is a choice.

Blaming is a phase/stage that we all go through in the early stages of life. It is designed to be part of our developmental process and dominates our world between the ages of zero and somewhere around seven, when our adult teeth begin to grow in. We are to pass through this stage and realize it is only one of many angles to view our experience. As adults, blame is no longer a productive angle, because, in the midst of casting blame, we take no responsibility for what is happening.

Responsibility enables growth. Responsibility, however, only appeals to our awareness when we have grown into the ability to actually respond to our environment. This comes with maturity. The ability to respond is what the word “responsibility” describes.

Therefore, blame—after childhood—represents an inability to respond, and within this inability, blame prevents growth. Approaching life from an entirely different angle, opening a different phase of observation, or reaching out and claiming your personal power to respond: all of these will release you from the need to place blame. Within this released status, we create growth; we create an ability to truly experience both the productive and nonproductive consequences of our actions. We receive the full experience of every experience, and within this full experience comes the lessons to be learned and the ability to respond to them.

Guru Singh is a world-renowned yoga instructor, author, musician, and family man. Guru Singh works with the Dalai Lama, teaches with Tony Robbins, and has recorded an album with Grammy® Award-winning artist Seal. He can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

*Image courtesy of NA.dir.