Responsibility- the state or fact of being accountable 

One of the constant challenges people face is accepting responsibility for the choices they make.  The finger of blame is often the first thing people do when a situation arises. To be responsible is the best way to find solutions to problems rather than clear ourselves of wrongdoing.

Avoid excuses and look for manageable actions that you can undertake to find solutions to problems. Energy spent on anything else is going to be a waste of time.  It all begins by looking at your thoughts, words, and actions when any situation arises that is deemed harmful or positive, and you are in control of creating your response.  Be accountable for your location, and you have power.

Excuses are the nails in the house of failure.

When a situation arises, it is human nature to want to distance ourselves from all things negative. Pointing the finger at someone or something else is one of the earliest lessons we learn. We don’t want to be punished as children, so throwing someone else under that bus is a good strategy.  But it isn’t a healthy or positive one. We are only as strong as the most plausible excuse we will accept from ourselves. We learn to use reasons to avoid taking responsibility.  When this process is transferred to other parts of our lives as we grow, the first thing we look for is a plausible excuse and deniability.

What you are saying when you accept an excuse is that “I couldn’t help it. I am weak and helpless.”  That is a message that will resonate with you in all areas of your life.  You will believe that you are weak and helpless.  The fact is that you are just about as frail or disabled as you choose to be, and that choice lies in any plausible excuse you accept about yourself or your situation.  Learn to leave the reasons behind your thoughts, words, and actions. The method is responsibility.

Manageable Actions Equal Responsibility

When you are looking at any situation, begin by seeing the result as positive or negative. Then look at the causes that brought the case about. Which objects are manageable, and which are not?  For example, acts of God are not compliant, broken beyond repair, or depleted resources are out of your control. What is never out of control is how you react to it. Use that factor as an excuse, and you will fail. Find an activity that you can take, and you will most likely succeed.  Find a manageable action.

There are always actions you take or inactions you choose that help or hinder any circumstance you may find yourself in.  Identify the actions or inactions that led to your current situation. If the condition is favorable, repeat them; if the state is negative, change them. Either way, accept responsibility for where you are at. Use your power rather than give it away in the form of excuses.  You are as solid and robust as a person, as you are willing to accept responsibility for being.

Improvement Is a Choice

Therefore, it is up to you to learn to repeat the manageable actions that lead to favorable circumstances in your life.  Along with that is the talent to see the plausible excuses you are using to weaken yourself. Accept your strength with responsibility and move away from your weakness of plausible explanations. There are many good excuses for failure. If you accept one as your own, failure is where you end up.

It all starts with a focus on your thoughts, words, and actions. As you develop your consciousness and become more aware of the forces you allow to control your life, look for the steps you can take to move forward rather than the excuses you can accept to justify yourself.  The result will be success, contentment, happiness, and reliability.

“The price of greatness is responsibility.” ~ Winston Churchill

“You must take personal responsibility. You can’t change some circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have control of.” ~ Jim Rohn