Summarize the following:
A major indicator of the victim mentality is the tendency to place blame on outside sources for the state you are in. Maybe you blame your spouse because you stopped going out with friends and ended up feeling socially isolated. Maybe you blame your parents for not exposing you to certain opportunities in life that would ensure your future success. No matter where blame is directed, it’s essentially useless. When you blame others, you give them power over your life instead of taking your destiny into your own hands. What’s more, you also push people away in the process. Do you spend most days of the week lamenting to any who will listen about your problems or inadequacies? Do you notice friends slowly not taking your phone calls or people avoiding you at work? Even the best relationships have trouble surviving when one person always has something bad to share. Complaining can be a tempting behavior and nonstop venting may seem to make you feel good on the surface. However, constant complaining sends the message to your brain to look for the negative, which only makes you feel worse in the long run. Feeling inadequate and not good enough is at the core of the victim mentality. A self-loather often views him/herself negatively and is always nervously waiting for others to spot all their inadequacies.  This kind of person is terribly hard to be in a relationship with because they cannot accept praise or compliments. Someone else may say “Wow, you did a great job on this project!” and the person pushes away the compliment with “Oh, no it was Tommy who did all the work.” One way to stop self-loathing is to accept the reality that how you see yourself isn’t the only or right way for you to be. Recognize that others' perceptions of you may be different, but, at least to them, they may also be accurate. Another clear sign of being a victim is living in the past. You may constantly reflect back on your earlier years and regret decisions or actions that you didn’t take.  Dwelling in the past is pointless since you can never go back there. Do you find yourself falling into the shoulda, woulda, coulda trap? If so, you must recognize that you are wasting time today focusing on what’s already done. Instead turn to the present and see what you steps you can take to improve from here. If you find yourself always examining the lives of friends, family, or other acquaintances and thinking about how great they have it, you are keeping yourself stuck in misery and failure. Theodore Roosevelt argued that “comparison is the thief of joy” because it’s virtually impossible to be content with your own life when you are always busy measuring yourself up to others.  In some instances, comparisons can spark competition to improve yourself. For example, you notice that a coworker is well on his way to earning a promotion, you may then be inspired to work equally as hard.  Yet, if it is not used wisely and carefully, it can backfire and leave you miserable. Keep a careful watch on your comparing nature, and remind yourself that even people that seem to have it all together also deal with trials and tribulations just like you. Having an internal locus of control means that you feel like you can influence the outcome of your own situation. However, having an external locus of control means that you feel like you cannot influence the outcome of your situation because the situation controls you. This is a sign of victim mentality.  For example, if your boss is unsatisfied with your performance and gives you a negative review, then you might think to yourself, "He is impossible to please. Guess I am going to get fired." This would indicate an external locus of control and a victim mentality. On the other hand, someone who has an internal locus of control might respond to a negative performance review more proactively, such as by thinking, "Okay, that sucked, but what can I do to improve my performance, ensure that my boss is happy, and secure my job?" Work on developing your sense of control over your life circumstances and events to overcome this aspect of victim mentality. In general, taking on a victim mentality is unhealthy for you personally and socially. However, there are some situations when feeling like a victim is warranted, particularly in situations when you have been harmed physically or emotionally.  For instance, almost anyone is bound to feel sorry for themselves after being betrayed or cheated on by a lover. Or, after having a serious car accident that results in you having to use a wheelchair. In spite of these circumstances, it's still important for you not to wallow in self-pity or ruminate about how bad your situation is. Taking the positive route is an overall healthier and more adaptive approach and can improve your self-esteem in the long run.

summary: Look for signs of blame. Determine if you are always calling others to complain. Identify self-loathing. Decide if you are hung up by past mistakes. Spot comparisons. Identify an external locus of control. Know legitimate reasons for feeling like a victim.


Summarize the following:
National clubs have chapters all over the country and are generally the largest clubs, meaning that they can provide the most number of services.  Good Sam Club - This club gives you discounts at roughly 1600 different RV campsites in the US, as well as discounts at Camping World and a subscriptions to Highways Magazine. It is one of the largest RV clubs. Escapees RV Club - This club has excellent mail forwarding services for those who just want to get away, permanently. They have local chapters and a discount pharmacy drug program, as well as classes that teach you have to RV with the utmost efficiency. Passport America - This camping and RVing club offers 50% discounts on over 1800 campgrounds. It is one of the largest clubs and offers many convenient services. Boondockers Welcome - This club for RVers facilitates invitations between members to camp for free on each other's private property. National Parks Conservation Association – Member donations help to preserve our national parks for future generations. Members receive National Parks magazine, the Park Pak information kit, invitations to NPCA tours, discounts, and more. The National African-American RVers Association – The NAARVA is a a nationwide camping club dedicated to providing family support for RVers. TrekAmerica – Adventure travel programs for all ages, including camping tours, walking tours, and lodging tours. Each state has one, if not many, regional RV clubs. You can go online to do an internet search to find RV clubs listed in your area or the area that you are planning on traveling to. An example of a regional RV club is Mavericks RV club that is dedicated to serving RVers in the Central and Northern California regions (generally from Bakersfield to Sacramento.) The Mavericks generally hold three to four events per year. Specialty RV clubs are clubs that were created to gather like-minded people and RV around the country. These specialty clubs range from clubs based on favorite hobbies to sexual orientation. You can perform an internet search to see if your specific interest is represented by an RV club. Here are a few highlighted specialty RV clubs.  American Camping Association – Accrediting over 2,200 kids camps for health, safety, and program quality, this not-for-profit organization helps you find the right camp for your kids (and adults), even if they have special needs or disabilities. Dedicated to serving the community of single campers and RVers, with gatherings, activities, and rallies for those enjoying the single lifestyle. Rainbow RV - This RV club was created to gather the RVing LGBTQ community. This club puts on many events each year and offers many discounts to its members. RV Consumer Group – The Consumer Reports of RVs, this non-profit organization provides members the resources to make knowledgeable RV purchases. RVing Women –  This organization, addressing issues specific to independent women RVers, provides members with relevant information, RVing Woman magazine, rallies, caravans, and seminars.
summary: Learn about national clubs. Learn about regional RV clubs. Learn about specialty clubs.