Taking Responsibility
I am guilty of often not taking responsibility for my life.
That’s a hard pill to swallow.
I pride myself as being somebody who does not outwardly blame other people or play the victim in my life. I believe that other people see me as a very responsible person who is kind to other people.
I am kind to other people.
I am responsible in many ways. I show up for work, I do my chores at home, I pay my bills on time, and I do my best to be the kind of loving husband that my wife deserves.
Therefore, I believe I portray an outward vision of being responsible.
It is the behind the scenes things that I struggle with.
For most of my life I was not responsible or respectful with my money. For many years I spent it in ways that were not healthy for me or the people around me. I treated it with and air of arrogance and privilege. When I got married, I began to be responsible. Once I chose to be married, I had to also decide to be responsible with my money. Once our money was pooled together it meant that my actions now affected my wife.
This realization that my actions affected my wife brought me to have to deal with a part of me that I didn’t want to deal with. That I have trouble with responsibility when it affects other people.
It is with profound gratitude that I have awakened to my truth that my actions have a direct impact on the lives of other people. When I am being responsible for me, I can be responsible to others.
If I am not being responsible for myself, when I am responsible with others it is just a show. It is about image and wanting to look good.
I don’t want to just look good anymore.
We are connected to others. What one person does on the other side of the planet influences my life. What I say and do influences your life.
Allow me to give you an illustration.
I read many beautiful articles on Medium from some very wise people. The reason that the writing is so profound for me is that it changes me. When I read an article that moves me, I am not the same person after reading it. A part of me is awakened. A new insight is gained. A new call to action was given. Something in me changed.
This is responsible reading.
Again, I am responsible for my reactions and how the reading is going to change my life.
This is one of the beautiful things about being a writer. I get to engage with people who have different life experiences who teach me something about myself.
Like my engagement with my writing, I see that I have a responsibility in all areas of my life to be the best person I can be. When I own my feelings, when I own my choices, when I own my history, I can become the person I want to be.
The most challenging part of taking responsibility for me is around the issue of being kind. Can I take responsibility and still be kind to myself? If I’m not blaming somebody else for my issues can I be kind to myself in the process?
This is where the work is.
This is where my work is.
It’s a process. Over time, we can learn to be compassionate towards ourselves as we learn to take more responsibility.
I know that as I move forward in my life, taking responsibility gives me greater freedom, gives me a sense of empowerment, and relieves me of the burden of resentment.
Your life is beautiful.
When you take responsibility for it you will see your blessings grow in ways you never could have imagined.
That’s a hard pill to swallow.
I pride myself as being somebody who does not outwardly blame other people or play the victim in my life. I believe that other people see me as a very responsible person who is kind to other people.
I am kind to other people.
I am responsible in many ways. I show up for work, I do my chores at home, I pay my bills on time, and I do my best to be the kind of loving husband that my wife deserves.
Therefore, I believe I portray an outward vision of being responsible.
It is the behind the scenes things that I struggle with.
For most of my life I was not responsible or respectful with my money. For many years I spent it in ways that were not healthy for me or the people around me. I treated it with and air of arrogance and privilege. When I got married, I began to be responsible. Once I chose to be married, I had to also decide to be responsible with my money. Once our money was pooled together it meant that my actions now affected my wife.
This realization that my actions affected my wife brought me to have to deal with a part of me that I didn’t want to deal with. That I have trouble with responsibility when it affects other people.
It is with profound gratitude that I have awakened to my truth that my actions have a direct impact on the lives of other people. When I am being responsible for me, I can be responsible to others.
If I am not being responsible for myself, when I am responsible with others it is just a show. It is about image and wanting to look good.
I don’t want to just look good anymore.
We are connected to others. What one person does on the other side of the planet influences my life. What I say and do influences your life.
Allow me to give you an illustration.
I read many beautiful articles on Medium from some very wise people. The reason that the writing is so profound for me is that it changes me. When I read an article that moves me, I am not the same person after reading it. A part of me is awakened. A new insight is gained. A new call to action was given. Something in me changed.
This is responsible reading.
Again, I am responsible for my reactions and how the reading is going to change my life.
This is one of the beautiful things about being a writer. I get to engage with people who have different life experiences who teach me something about myself.
Like my engagement with my writing, I see that I have a responsibility in all areas of my life to be the best person I can be. When I own my feelings, when I own my choices, when I own my history, I can become the person I want to be.
The most challenging part of taking responsibility for me is around the issue of being kind. Can I take responsibility and still be kind to myself? If I’m not blaming somebody else for my issues can I be kind to myself in the process?
This is where the work is.
This is where my work is.
It’s a process. Over time, we can learn to be compassionate towards ourselves as we learn to take more responsibility.
I know that as I move forward in my life, taking responsibility gives me greater freedom, gives me a sense of empowerment, and relieves me of the burden of resentment.
Your life is beautiful.
When you take responsibility for it you will see your blessings grow in ways you never could have imagined.
Comments
Post a Comment