Thursday, May 29, 2008

What is Personal Responsibility and Accountability?

And does it even matter or exist today at all? From what I have witnessed recently, I think its even harder to find then I ever imagined. According to Chuck Gallozzi of http://www.personal-development.com/: Personal Responsibility is not a burden, it's a blessing

Today's subject is responsibility. Not social responsibility, which is a separate issue, but personal responsibility. When we take responsibility, we admit we are the ones responsible for the choices we make.

We, not other people or events, are responsible for the way we think and feel. It is our life, and we are in charge of it. We are free to enjoy it or disdain it. No, we are not responsible for all that happens to us, but we are responsible for how we think, feel, and act when they happen.

Why did God make us so fleet-footed? Some would argue it is to allow us to dodge, duck, and run from responsibility! Why would anyone want to do that? Well, many people associate responsibility with duty and obligations, which, in turn, are thought of as burdens. But personal responsibility is not a burden, it is a blessing.

This becomes clear when we understand that PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY IS NOTHING OTHER THAN THE FREEDOM TO CREATE OUR OWN LIVES.

Yes, responsibility is equated with freedom and power. Once we awaken to this fact, we become liberated and empowered. Once we become aware of this truth, we shed our victim mentality and gain the power to transform ourselves.

And likewise Personal Accountability:

“Life is so much better when we shed the victim thinking and simply choose the path of personal accountability.”- John G. Miller, The Question Behind the Question

Personal Accountability allows you to move away from a mindset where things happen "to you" in your life without your consent or influence, and embrace your role in the way your life is shaped by moving to a place of true power and freedom.
Of course, this begs the question...WHY? Why do so many people NOT want to take responsibility and accountability for their own actions? How can so many want to play the "victim" in society, blaming others for their choices and life decisions? I know that some have a difficult time letting go of the past, but generally not letting go of the past means you will allow it to mess up your future. So many of us make mistakes in life, the point is to learn from them...not to continue to blame past mistakes for future or current ones.

Heck, in my own life, I have made some doozers...but if I allowed those past mistakes to dictate who I am and what I want today, I probably wouldn't even wake up in the mornings! I have had to learn to let go and move on...become stronger with each life "hit"...just as Rocky demonstrates below...in my absolute favorite modern day quote from a movie:

"You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you're no good. And when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow. Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

I'm afraid that with so few people willing to actually take responsibility today, even those one would swear always would...we have little to no hope for changing the political climate or bettering society anytime soon...how sad for our future generations. The "all about me" mentality is more dangerous and prevelant in society then I ever thought and will in fact be the thing that completely destroys, not only America, but also the world.

I just will not ever understand why some just can't see this and frankly, it breaks my heart to know that those who believe themselves to be so strong in mind, are really so weak in soul!

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