Why is this even remotely controversial?

TyFit08

When I pledged my sorority I learned a very valuable quote, "Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, used to build monuments of nothingness. Those who specialize in them seldom succeed at anything else, therefore there are no excuses."

I have tried to apply this in life, though sometimes I fail. I look at this picture and I think it should be a wakeup call to all of those who have a million excuses as to why they can't eat better or move more. I don't see this as fat shaming, but those who call her a bully are projecting their own insecurities on her. If you read her background, she grew up with an overweight mother who was hospitalized on her wedding day due to her weight/health issues. This is not a game, this is your life. And there is no excuse to not make your health a priority. You don't have to look like Maria Kang, but you can be your best you, not only for yourself but your family. I have family members who have died of congestive heart failure, diabetes, strokes and yet very few people in my family saw this as a sign that maybe they should do things differently. No they are continuing on with the same bad habits, hoping for a different outcome. I am not my best self yet, but I know I will be as long as I don't make excuses.

So, have you become a billionaire already? Is that aiming too high? Wait, 'aiming too high' is an excuse, sorry, you don't make those.

How about: 'So, you've consistently exceeded every expectation for you set by every authority figure in your life?' If not, I'm sorry you failed. . . since any other explanation would be an 'excuse.'

I think you misinterpreted the quote. If I worked hard and didn't get the outcome I wanted, I didn't fail because of an excuse. I gave it my all, so I went for it. An excuse would be what I would use not to try in the first place, or try again after I fall short. It has nothing to do with being a billionaire. Aim as high as you like, even if you don't get there if you are trying with all your might you are not an excuse maker. When I say I failed, I meant I have made excuses when I know better. i have let excuses stop me from pushing as hard as I know I can at different points in my life from everything from career to health. Not making excuses doesn't guarantee success, but making excuses guarantees failure. We all lead different lives and have varying degrees of responsibilities. It is easy to say that work, family, school etc. is the reason you don't have time to make your health a priority. It is much harder to own up to the fact that if you manage your time better, you could move more and eat better. The people who had such a problem with this meme this mom made and posted more than a year ago on her facebook page, I think don't want to own up to their excusemaking

RllyGudTweetr

When I pledged my sorority I learned a very valuable quote, "Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, used to build monuments of nothingness. Those who specialize in them seldom succeed at anything else, therefore there are no excuses."

I have tried to apply this in life, though sometimes I fail. I look at this picture and I think it should be a wakeup call to all of those who have a million excuses as to why they can't eat better or move more. I don't see this as fat shaming, but those who call her a bully are projecting their own insecurities on her. If you read her background, she grew up with an overweight mother who was hospitalized on her wedding day due to her weight/health issues. This is not a game, this is your life. And there is no excuse to not make your health a priority. You don't have to look like Maria Kang, but you can be your best you, not only for yourself but your family. I have family members who have died of congestive heart failure, diabetes, strokes and yet very few people in my family saw this as a sign that maybe they should do things differently. No they are continuing on with the same bad habits, hoping for a different outcome. I am not my best self yet, but I know I will be as long as I don't make excuses.

So, have you become a billionaire already? Is that aiming too high? Wait, 'aiming too high' is an excuse, sorry, you don't make those.

How about: 'So, you've consistently exceeded every expectation for you set by every authority figure in your life?' If not, I'm sorry you failed. . . since any other explanation would be an 'excuse.'

I think you misinterpreted the quote. If I worked hard and didn't get the outcome I wanted, I didn't fail because of an excuse. I gave it my all, so I went for it. An excuse would be what I would use not to try in the first place, or try again after I fall short. It has nothing to do with being a billionaire. Aim as high as you like, even if you don't get there if you are trying with all your might you are not an excuse maker. When I say I failed, I meant I have made excuses when I know better. i have let excuses stop me from pushing as hard as I know I can at different points in my life from everything from career to health. Not making excuses doesn't guarantee success, but making excuses guarantees failure. We all lead different lives and have varying degrees of responsibilities. It is easy to say that work, family, school etc. is the reason you don't have time to make your health a priority. It is much harder to own up to the fact that if you manage your time better, you could move more and eat better. The people who had such a problem with this meme this mom made and posted more than a year ago on her facebook page, I think don't want to own up to their excusemaking

Anything that prevents you from getting absolutely everything you might possibly want can be reasonably qualified as an excuse. Any reason for failure, valid or not, is an excuse. A failure is still a failure, regardless of circumstance. A person who fails to finish a marathon because he slips and sprains his ankle has still failed to finish the marathon, and has the fall and the sprain as his excuse.

For example, you have an interesting list of excuses for not getting absolutely everything you might possibly want. It's all the more interesting because you're choosing not to call them "excuses."

MyChocolateDiet

When I pledged my sorority I learned a very valuable quote, "Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, used to build monuments of nothingness. Those who specialize in them seldom succeed at anything else, therefore there are no excuses."

I have tried to apply this in life, though sometimes I fail. I look at this picture and I think it should be a wakeup call to all of those who have a million excuses as to why they can't eat better or move more. I don't see this as fat shaming, but those who call her a bully are projecting their own insecurities on her. If you read her background, she grew up with an overweight mother who was hospitalized on her wedding day due to her weight/health issues. This is not a game, this is your life. And there is no excuse to not make your health a priority. You don't have to look like Maria Kang, but you can be your best you, not only for yourself but your family. I have family members who have died of congestive heart failure, diabetes, strokes and yet very few people in my family saw this as a sign that maybe they should do things differently. No they are continuing on with the same bad habits, hoping for a different outcome. I am not my best self yet, but I know I will be as long as I don't make excuses.

So, have you become a billionaire already? Is that aiming too high? Wait, 'aiming too high' is an excuse, sorry, you don't make those.

How about: 'So, you've consistently exceeded every expectation for you set by every authority figure in your life?' If not, I'm sorry you failed. . . since any other explanation would be an 'excuse.'

I think you misinterpreted the quote. If I worked hard and didn't get the outcome I wanted, I didn't fail because of an excuse. I gave it my all, so I went for it. An excuse would be what I would use not to try in the first place, or try again after I fall short. It has nothing to do with being a billionaire. Aim as high as you like, even if you don't get there if you are trying with all your might you are not an excuse maker. When I say I failed, I meant I have made excuses when I know better. i have let excuses stop me from pushing as hard as I know I can at different points in my life from everything from career to health. Not making excuses doesn't guarantee success, but making excuses guarantees failure. We all lead different lives and have varying degrees of responsibilities. It is easy to say that work, family, school etc. is the reason you don't have time to make your health a priority. It is much harder to own up to the fact that if you manage your time better, you could move more and eat better. The people who had such a problem with this meme this mom made and posted more than a year ago on her facebook page, I think don't want to own up to their excusemaking

Anything that prevents you from getting absolutely everything you might possibly want can be reasonably qualified as an excuse. Any reason for failure, valid or not, is an excuse. A failure is still a failure, regardless of circumstance. A person who fails to finish a marathon because he slips and sprains his ankle has still failed to finish the marathon, and has the fall and the sprain as his excuse.

For example, you have an interesting list of excuses for not getting absolutely everything you might possibly want. It's all the more interesting because you're choosing not to call them "excuses."

Excuse vs. Reason....GO!

MireyGal76

What's your excuse?

WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO BE A NEGATIVE QUESTION?


What's your excuse for finding time to exercise?
What's your excuse for being the best you, you can be?
What's your excuse for learning to eat better?
What's your excuse for changing your life for the better?

My excuse:
- mentally, I am better able to cope with the stress in my life WHEN I am regularly working out
- if I cope with my stress better, I am a much better mom
- if I am a better mom, my kids are happier and healthier and do better in school



Instead of being ticked that someone is asking you why you are failing... read the question differently!

Be pleased that someone is questioning you as to why YOU WANT TO SUCCEED

yoovie

actually - excuses are requests to be exempt from activities, promises or obligations; a pretext or subterfuge / also: (informal) a reason that you give to explain why you have done something bad, or why you have not done something that you should have done

reason - a fact, situation, or intention that explains why something happened or why something is true

Mobilemuscle

What is this thread about again?

MireyGal76

What is this thread about again?

Taking you literally... :laughs:

Mobilemuscle

What is this thread about again?

Taking you literally... :laughs:

That 3 year olds facial expression is adorable

bcattoes

Be pleased that someone is questioning you as to why YOU WANT TO SUCCEED

Seriously, do you think that was her intent?

wewon

I'm of two minds on this.

1) Sure she (the ad execs, or some decision maker) knew that the word excuse was a bit loaded and likely to get more of a "reaction" than some other more motivational statement. This wasn't a mistake, its a good rule of thumb to assume that things put into the media are never done by chance. Take the exact same picture with the caption, "Hard work pays off" and you would have no controversy but still a motivational message. Unfortunately there would also be no viral internet scaping either which means no cheap publicity.

On the other hand...

2) Why are people letting this get to them so much? Surely you know that this is just a tactic used to get a reaction out of the public. Yes they are trying to play on your insecurities, but that's what most ads do, everything from toothpaste to car insurance is sold to you through fear and shame.

LuLuChick78

TyFit08

When I pledged my sorority I learned a very valuable quote, "Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, used to build monuments of nothingness. Those who specialize in them seldom succeed at anything else, therefore there are no excuses."

I have tried to apply this in life, though sometimes I fail. I look at this picture and I think it should be a wakeup call to all of those who have a million excuses as to why they can't eat better or move more. I don't see this as fat shaming, but those who call her a bully are projecting their own insecurities on her. If you read her background, she grew up with an overweight mother who was hospitalized on her wedding day due to her weight/health issues. This is not a game, this is your life. And there is no excuse to not make your health a priority. You don't have to look like Maria Kang, but you can be your best you, not only for yourself but your family. I have family members who have died of congestive heart failure, diabetes, strokes and yet very few people in my family saw this as a sign that maybe they should do things differently. No they are continuing on with the same bad habits, hoping for a different outcome. I am not my best self yet, but I know I will be as long as I don't make excuses.

So, have you become a billionaire already? Is that aiming too high? Wait, 'aiming too high' is an excuse, sorry, you don't make those.

How about: 'So, you've consistently exceeded every expectation for you set by every authority figure in your life?' If not, I'm sorry you failed. . . since any other explanation would be an 'excuse.'

I think you misinterpreted the quote. If I worked hard and didn't get the outcome I wanted, I didn't fail because of an excuse. I gave it my all, so I went for it. An excuse would be what I would use not to try in the first place, or try again after I fall short. It has nothing to do with being a billionaire. Aim as high as you like, even if you don't get there if you are trying with all your might you are not an excuse maker. When I say I failed, I meant I have made excuses when I know better. i have let excuses stop me from pushing as hard as I know I can at different points in my life from everything from career to health. Not making excuses doesn't guarantee success, but making excuses guarantees failure. We all lead different lives and have varying degrees of responsibilities. It is easy to say that work, family, school etc. is the reason you don't have time to make your health a priority. It is much harder to own up to the fact that if you manage your time better, you could move more and eat better. The people who had such a problem with this meme this mom made and posted more than a year ago on her facebook page, I think don't want to own up to their excusemaking

Anything that prevents you from getting absolutely everything you might possibly want can be reasonably qualified as an excuse. Any reason for failure, valid or not, is an excuse. A failure is still a failure, regardless of circumstance. A person who fails to finish a marathon because he slips and sprains his ankle has still failed to finish the marathon, and has the fall and the sprain as his excuse.

For example, you have an interesting list of excuses for not getting absolutely everything you might possibly want. It's all the more interesting because you're choosing not to call them "excuses."

As some others said, you are confusing excuses with reasons. If a runner sprains his ankle before finishing a marathon, his inability to finish is not an excuse. He pushed his body to the limits and his injury was the reason he didn't meet his goals. An excuse would be using this incident as a sign to never run again. Sometimes life happens and things are just beyond your control. But excuses are within our control and that is why making them won't help you achieve anything. The NYC Marathon was cancelled last year due to Superstorm Sandy, excuses didn't keep those runners that trained for months from "failing" to complete their run. Also, in my opinion, failure is giving up on your goals or not trying in the first place.. Sometimes the journey can be longer than you had hoped, but you didn't fail if you stick with it. Again, not making excuses doesn't guarantee success, but making excuses guarantees failure.

MireyGal76

Be pleased that someone is questioning you as to why YOU WANT TO SUCCEED

Seriously, do you think that was her intent?

No I don't... but who says I have to live my life her way? Who says I need to live in the negative, when the same question, asked with a different tone can be an inspiration, instead of an insult?

Just being devil's advocate here.

wewon

Interesting article

Why don't you look like Maria Kang? I think this is what a lot of people took away from the photo fitness model and businesswoman, Maria Kang, posted to Facebook yesterday. In the photo with Kang were her three children, the youngest eight months old. Kang, 32, looks the image of magazine-quality perfection. By all accounts, her career and livelihood revolve around fitness. She takes care of her body presumably because she wants to looks good/feel healthy, and from a business perspective, because it bodes well for her work.

What's Your Excuse?
I think this question is at the crux of what everyone is up in arms about. First let me say that Kang has every right to post whatever she pleases on Facebook. She's a mother and a fitness model. Does it really come as a shock that she's posing with her three children wearing a two piece? She looks great. The kids looks adorable. They all match. And, after looking at her Facebook page, it's not uncharacteristic for Kang to post pictures with her children.

Fitness is the lifeblood of Kang's career. She works at her body very hard because, well, that's her job. She's committed and to that I say good for you, Maria. She's a lean person, but has a toned, muscular physique. Her body itself should not be construed as anything negative. She's proud of herself, reaping what she sowed and letting us know about it.

The question, "What's your excuse?" makes me roll my eyes a little. Ok, a lot. It's a message that allows people to either relate or detach...and could have been positioned in a much, much better way. That said, I doubt Kang expected to get this much of a response to the photo. My guess is this picture was intended to reach the people who follow her, most of whom are also interested in fitness.

I've been working in the fitness industry since 1998. Taking care of my body and making sure I eat right are two of my top priorities. When I see a question like "What's your excuse?" it's motivating to me. However, as a personal trainer and fitness coach who has worked with hundreds of other men and women who do not share the same career or personal goals, the question itself is bull****.

A lot of people have legit excuses. Careers, school, divorce, lack of resources, health problems, etc., are all reasons why someone wouldn't be able to take care of themselves are good as they should, much less workout religiously. I believe we can all take better care of our bodies, but not everyone can look just like Kang. On the flip side, there are many people who have overcome obstacles and have successfully used fitness as the path to guide them. These people are constantly a source of motivation and inspiration for me and millions of others.

I like the picture Kang posted, but if we took the words "What's your excuse?" out of it, it would have been far less inflammatory. Knowing a little bit of her backstory, I look at the picture of Kang and see a woman who made a career in fitness after overcoming an eating disorder. Adding the words "What's your excuse?" completely changes the intent and tone of the message.

Without the words "What's your excuse?", it could be interpreted as "Look how healthy I am today." But with those three words, it's a little more like "Look how great my body is. Why don't you look like me?" Granted, this photo was blown way out of proportion, I'm a little surprised Kang wasn't more sensitive to the struggles of eating disorders that she herself once dealt with. She should be proud of herself for overcoming her disease, but she should also know that millions of other women are struggling with eating disorders right now.

Moving in a better direction
It's no secret that most people would love to have a leaner, healthier body. It's also no secret that people eat too much and don't exercise as much as they should. There are also plenty of the-dog-ate-my-homework style excuses. The job of any professional in the fitness industry is to lift people, lead by example and make people feel good about themselves. The better people feel about themselves, the healthier their bodies will be. The worse people feel about themselves, the less likely it is they'll take care of their body. I have no reason to believe Kang doesn't care about her audience, nor do I think it was her intention to make anyone feel bad or get (incredibly) angry. She just paired a phrase that many found to be cocky, not motivating, with an image that is inconceivable to most. The combination was resulted in this love/hate firestorm.

eric_sg61

This is so inflammatory...

TyFit08

I'm of two minds on this.

1) Sure she (the ad execs, or some decision maker) knew that the word excuse was a bit loaded and likely to get more of a "reaction" than some other more motivational statement. This wasn't a mistake, its a good rule of thumb to assume that things put into the media are never done by chance. Take the exact same picture with the caption, "Hard work pays off" and you would have no controversy but still a motivational message. Unfortunately there would also be no viral internet scaping either which means no cheap publicity.

On the other hand...

2) Why are people letting this get to them so much? Surely you know that this is just a tactic used to get a reaction out of the public. Yes they are trying to play on your insecurities, but that's what most ads do, everything from toothpaste to car insurance is sold to you through fear and shame.

The meme was posted on her FB page more than a year ago and the reception was positive. She said in an interview she noticed it was being shared more recently and with it the negative reaction. So i get why she would be surprised by the controversy since it is coming more than a year later.

bcattoes

This is so inflammatory...

It probably is to other 82 yo who can't do that.

ETA: but this is a pretty different pic. The original pic didn't show the woman doing anything but looking good in a 2 piece. This lady is actually DOING something besides looking pretty.

RllyGudTweetr

When I pledged my sorority I learned a very valuable quote, "Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, used to build monuments of nothingness. Those who specialize in them seldom succeed at anything else, therefore there are no excuses."

I have tried to apply this in life, though sometimes I fail. I look at this picture and I think it should be a wakeup call to all of those who have a million excuses as to why they can't eat better or move more. I don't see this as fat shaming, but those who call her a bully are projecting their own insecurities on her. If you read her background, she grew up with an overweight mother who was hospitalized on her wedding day due to her weight/health issues. This is not a game, this is your life. And there is no excuse to not make your health a priority. You don't have to look like Maria Kang, but you can be your best you, not only for yourself but your family. I have family members who have died of congestive heart failure, diabetes, strokes and yet very few people in my family saw this as a sign that maybe they should do things differently. No they are continuing on with the same bad habits, hoping for a different outcome. I am not my best self yet, but I know I will be as long as I don't make excuses.

So, have you become a billionaire already? Is that aiming too high? Wait, 'aiming too high' is an excuse, sorry, you don't make those.

How about: 'So, you've consistently exceeded every expectation for you set by every authority figure in your life?' If not, I'm sorry you failed. . . since any other explanation would be an 'excuse.'

I think you misinterpreted the quote. If I worked hard and didn't get the outcome I wanted, I didn't fail because of an excuse. I gave it my all, so I went for it. An excuse would be what I would use not to try in the first place, or try again after I fall short. It has nothing to do with being a billionaire. Aim as high as you like, even if you don't get there if you are trying with all your might you are not an excuse maker. When I say I failed, I meant I have made excuses when I know better. i have let excuses stop me from pushing as hard as I know I can at different points in my life from everything from career to health. Not making excuses doesn't guarantee success, but making excuses guarantees failure. We all lead different lives and have varying degrees of responsibilities. It is easy to say that work, family, school etc. is the reason you don't have time to make your health a priority. It is much harder to own up to the fact that if you manage your time better, you could move more and eat better. The people who had such a problem with this meme this mom made and posted more than a year ago on her facebook page, I think don't want to own up to their excusemaking

Anything that prevents you from getting absolutely everything you might possibly want can be reasonably qualified as an excuse. Any reason for failure, valid or not, is an excuse. A failure is still a failure, regardless of circumstance. A person who fails to finish a marathon because he slips and sprains his ankle has still failed to finish the marathon, and has the fall and the sprain as his excuse.

For example, you have an interesting list of excuses for not getting absolutely everything you might possibly want. It's all the more interesting because you're choosing not to call them "excuses."

As some others said, you are confusing excuses with reasons. If a runner sprains his ankle before finishing a marathon, his inability to finish is not an excuse. He pushed his body to the limits and his injury was the reason he didn't meet his goals. An excuse would be using this incident as a sign to never run again. Sometimes life happens and things are just beyond your control. But excuses are within our control and that is why making them won't help you achieve anything. The NYC Marathon was cancelled last year due to Superstorm Sandy, excuses didn't keep those runners that trained for months from "failing" to complete their run. Also, in my opinion, failure is giving up on your goals or not trying in the first place.. Sometimes the journey can be longer than you had hoped, but you didn't fail if you stick with it. Again, not making excuses doesn't guarantee success, but making excuses guarantees failure.

A "reason" is merely an excuse that you've found acceptable.

TyFit08

When I pledged my sorority I learned a very valuable quote, "Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, used to build monuments of nothingness. Those who specialize in them seldom succeed at anything else, therefore there are no excuses."

I have tried to apply this in life, though sometimes I fail. I look at this picture and I think it should be a wakeup call to all of those who have a million excuses as to why they can't eat better or move more. I don't see this as fat shaming, but those who call her a bully are projecting their own insecurities on her. If you read her background, she grew up with an overweight mother who was hospitalized on her wedding day due to her weight/health issues. This is not a game, this is your life. And there is no excuse to not make your health a priority. You don't have to look like Maria Kang, but you can be your best you, not only for yourself but your family. I have family members who have died of congestive heart failure, diabetes, strokes and yet very few people in my family saw this as a sign that maybe they should do things differently. No they are continuing on with the same bad habits, hoping for a different outcome. I am not my best self yet, but I know I will be as long as I don't make excuses.

So, have you become a billionaire already? Is that aiming too high? Wait, 'aiming too high' is an excuse, sorry, you don't make those.

How about: 'So, you've consistently exceeded every expectation for you set by every authority figure in your life?' If not, I'm sorry you failed. . . since any other explanation would be an 'excuse.'

I think you misinterpreted the quote. If I worked hard and didn't get the outcome I wanted, I didn't fail because of an excuse. I gave it my all, so I went for it. An excuse would be what I would use not to try in the first place, or try again after I fall short. It has nothing to do with being a billionaire. Aim as high as you like, even if you don't get there if you are trying with all your might you are not an excuse maker. When I say I failed, I meant I have made excuses when I know better. i have let excuses stop me from pushing as hard as I know I can at different points in my life from everything from career to health. Not making excuses doesn't guarantee success, but making excuses guarantees failure. We all lead different lives and have varying degrees of responsibilities. It is easy to say that work, family, school etc. is the reason you don't have time to make your health a priority. It is much harder to own up to the fact that if you manage your time better, you could move more and eat better. The people who had such a problem with this meme this mom made and posted more than a year ago on her facebook page, I think don't want to own up to their excusemaking

Anything that prevents you from getting absolutely everything you might possibly want can be reasonably qualified as an excuse. Any reason for failure, valid or not, is an excuse. A failure is still a failure, regardless of circumstance. A person who fails to finish a marathon because he slips and sprains his ankle has still failed to finish the marathon, and has the fall and the sprain as his excuse.

For example, you have an interesting list of excuses for not getting absolutely everything you might possibly want. It's all the more interesting because you're choosing not to call them "excuses."

As some others said, you are confusing excuses with reasons. If a runner sprains his ankle before finishing a marathon, his inability to finish is not an excuse. He pushed his body to the limits and his injury was the reason he didn't meet his goals. An excuse would be using this incident as a sign to never run again. Sometimes life happens and things are just beyond your control. But excuses are within our control and that is why making them won't help you achieve anything. The NYC Marathon was cancelled last year due to Superstorm Sandy, excuses didn't keep those runners that trained for months from "failing" to complete their run. Also, in my opinion, failure is giving up on your goals or not trying in the first place.. Sometimes the journey can be longer than you had hoped, but you didn't fail if you stick with it. Again, not making excuses doesn't guarantee success, but making excuses guarantees failure.

A "reason" is merely an excuse that you've found acceptable.

I guess we can agree to disagree.

jacksonpt

When I pledged my sorority I learned a very valuable quote, "Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, used to build monuments of nothingness. Those who specialize in them seldom succeed at anything else, therefore there are no excuses."

I have tried to apply this in life, though sometimes I fail. I look at this picture and I think it should be a wakeup call to all of those who have a million excuses as to why they can't eat better or move more. I don't see this as fat shaming, but those who call her a bully are projecting their own insecurities on her. If you read her background, she grew up with an overweight mother who was hospitalized on her wedding day due to her weight/health issues. This is not a game, this is your life. And there is no excuse to not make your health a priority. You don't have to look like Maria Kang, but you can be your best you, not only for yourself but your family. I have family members who have died of congestive heart failure, diabetes, strokes and yet very few people in my family saw this as a sign that maybe they should do things differently. No they are continuing on with the same bad habits, hoping for a different outcome. I am not my best self yet, but I know I will be as long as I don't make excuses.

So, have you become a billionaire already? Is that aiming too high? Wait, 'aiming too high' is an excuse, sorry, you don't make those.

How about: 'So, you've consistently exceeded every expectation for you set by every authority figure in your life?' If not, I'm sorry you failed. . . since any other explanation would be an 'excuse.'

I think you misinterpreted the quote. If I worked hard and didn't get the outcome I wanted, I didn't fail because of an excuse. I gave it my all, so I went for it. An excuse would be what I would use not to try in the first place, or try again after I fall short. It has nothing to do with being a billionaire. Aim as high as you like, even if you don't get there if you are trying with all your might you are not an excuse maker. When I say I failed, I meant I have made excuses when I know better. i have let excuses stop me from pushing as hard as I know I can at different points in my life from everything from career to health. Not making excuses doesn't guarantee success, but making excuses guarantees failure. We all lead different lives and have varying degrees of responsibilities. It is easy to say that work, family, school etc. is the reason you don't have time to make your health a priority. It is much harder to own up to the fact that if you manage your time better, you could move more and eat better. The people who had such a problem with this meme this mom made and posted more than a year ago on her facebook page, I think don't want to own up to their excusemaking

Anything that prevents you from getting absolutely everything you might possibly want can be reasonably qualified as an excuse. Any reason for failure, valid or not, is an excuse. A failure is still a failure, regardless of circumstance. A person who fails to finish a marathon because he slips and sprains his ankle has still failed to finish the marathon, and has the fall and the sprain as his excuse.

For example, you have an interesting list of excuses for not getting absolutely everything you might possibly want. It's all the more interesting because you're choosing not to call them "excuses."

As some others said, you are confusing excuses with reasons. If a runner sprains his ankle before finishing a marathon, his inability to finish is not an excuse. He pushed his body to the limits and his injury was the reason he didn't meet his goals. An excuse would be using this incident as a sign to never run again. Sometimes life happens and things are just beyond your control. But excuses are within our control and that is why making them won't help you achieve anything. The NYC Marathon was cancelled last year due to Superstorm Sandy, excuses didn't keep those runners that trained for months from "failing" to complete their run. Also, in my opinion, failure is giving up on your goals or not trying in the first place.. Sometimes the journey can be longer than you had hoped, but you didn't fail if you stick with it. Again, not making excuses doesn't guarantee success, but making excuses guarantees failure.

A "reason" is merely an excuse that you've found acceptable.

I guess we can agree to disagree.

Could that runner not then crawl to the finish? He still finishes.

It's a bit harsh, but I agree with the idea that reasons are simply excuses that you've rationalized/validated. Something caused you to come up shy of your goal. If you accept that, it's a reason. If you don't, it's an excuse.