Responsibility

​"Personal Responsibility"?   All responsibility is personal.  It is easy to pass the blame or the responsibility on to others, but the reality is that we should function under the premise that we are responsible for anything and everything in our vicinity.  We can not and should not rely on others to take the blame or pick up the slack for us or solve the problem.  Most people are not only irresponsible but they lack the self-awareness to act appropriately so to assume that they will be responsible is asking too much and it is setting us up for disappointment and failure.  We need to function as if we are responsible for anything that happens to us and on our behalf.  Our performance in school or work or in sports?  Our responsibility.  Our reputation?  Our responsibility.  Our relationships?  Our responsibility.  Our ultimate success is up to us and not someone else’s responsibility.  Others can help and assist us and many will, but we are the one in charge.  There are times that events will take place that we have absolutely no responsibility in causing but that is where our responsibility begins.  We are responsible to handle the situation correctly.  We may get T-boned at an intersection because someone ran a red light.  We may have been able to avoid the accident in the first place by assuming that others won't stop at every intersection and be prepared (my Dad used to say that our responsibility is to "not only drive our car but to drive the other person's car too".  Even if we do all we can to avoid an accident, it still may occur and then it is our responsibility to respond appropriately after the accident.  Stay calm, communicate and help the other person.   Good advice in any situation.  Stay calm, communicate and help the other person.  If we all function under the premise that it is our responsibility, rather than someone else, we will accomplish a lot more and have a lot less stagnation in our lives and in the lives of those around us.