It's so tempting to fall into the negativity trap, especially when confidence takes a nosedive. When you're not feeling on top of the world, it's almost too easy to gripe about everything, right? Blaming the universe for where you were born, how you were born, and which family you were born into—it's like an automatic reflex.

I've come across plenty of folks living lives they're not crazy about, and the interesting thing is, there are always different layers to it. Take someone born into a modest family in South Korea, for instance. They might look at the United States and think, 'Man, life would be better there.' Flip the coin, and there's someone in the States wishing they were born in South Korea.

Then there's the political scene—some moan about the craziness in the United States, while others whine about the apparent lack of action in Australian politics. It's like there's always a shinier spot on the other side, no matter where you are.

Sure, I get it. Where you're born and what family you're born into can lay out certain opportunities for you. If your dad's a hotshot businessman, maybe you've got a smoother path to becoming a business whiz yourself. And yeah, not knowing about something can definitely limit your options. Like, if you've never seen the whole money-making through trading gig, you might not even realize it's an option between your town and the next.

But here's the kicker: it's super easy to point fingers and grumble. Blame this, complain about that. Sure, you can let yourself do that for a year, maybe two or three. But sooner or later, you've got to own up to your part in the whole shebang.

Take me, for example. I was griping about not being able to do remote work as much as I wanted. Then, out of the blue, I stumble upon this Filipino lady who's been rocking the remote work scene for years. How crazy is it that I couldn't see it before? I thought my situation was a cakewalk compared to hers, and there she was, living the dream I was just daydreaming about. I realized I'd been blaming everything and everyone except myself.

So, here's the real talk. If you're steering your ship toward your dreams, you've got to put in the work. Sure, it's tempting to play the blame game, but it won't get you anywhere. I mean, think about it—if I and 60 other students in the same high school class can be thrown into the comparison mix, only 5 of us actually went for it. Took the risks, worked hard, and now they're in a much better place. Why? Because they fought for what they believed was possible.

Bottom line: lead your own life and resist the urge to pass the blame. It's just not worth it.