Taking Responsiblity

Responsibility is a word that's common enough and one that is worth reflecting on... It implies an ownership of sorts and reflects accountability. Knowing what we're accountable for is one of the first steps in taking responsibility.

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In technical terms the Locus of Control refers to how people internalise personal responsibility, versus attributing accountability to a source that is external to them. Some people place control of their life in a higher being and many others, place the results of their life in their upbringing, the teacher who didn't help them, or others who have wronged them.

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This is where many people suffer conflict. Not understanding personal responsibilities brings confusion, chaos and distraction. This same lack of personal responsibility can occur at the physical level when people eat without thinking, or don't make time to get up and be active in their physical lives.

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Doing this in the shorter term might make you feel a bit tired, or at it's worst unwell. Over the longer term, the internal workings of your body will become worn down faster, and bad health will result.

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Regardless of your beliefs, your history, or your upsets, once you grow up you are responsible for how you perceive yourself and for what you create for yourself. You are also responsible for your actions toward others.

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If you perceive yourself as lowly, or incapable or fearful, you will create a life that reflects your thoughts. A life that you don't value, where you are too afraid to try things you've never experienced. By the same thinking, if you treat people poorly and live a life without expressing compassion, understanding and forgiveness you'll attract people who support your beliefs and invest in the outward expressions of your beliefs. People who for whatever reasons, are in a similar position to the one you've created where conflict and fear dominate choice, and a sense of powerlessness around the behaviour of other people rules your decisions.

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If you perceive yourself as capable, loving and peaceful then you will create for yourself a reality that reflects your inner thoughts and be better equipped to deal with the life challenges that we all need to face. You will find yourself drawn to people who are capable of lifting you up and helping you to be the best you can be. And, best of all, you will find yourself doing the same for others.

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Identifying yourself as capable can often take a lot of deep personal work, or it can be a very simple decision. Either way, it requires constant vigilance and very few people arrive at this understanding without vast life experience and the distinct acquisition of wisdom that is entirely optional at all stages of the life experience. As we grow in capability, our responsibilities become clearer to us.

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Understanding clear healthy boundaries and knowing how to assert them successfully is an enormous part of the work involved (and worthy of further musing at a later date). It's a constant job this human experience, but one that can be filled with love and joy if we make that choice for ourself.



What responsibilities limit your relationships to other people?  What responsibilities limit your relationships to food?  What responsibilities limit your relationships to exercise?  What responsibilities define your relationships to other people?  What responsibilities define your relationships to food?  What responsibilities define your relationships to exercise?