Other people can put you in charge of things, but no one can give you responsibility. You really don’t need for anyone to give you responsibility, though. It doesn’t require any credentials or experience. It is there for you to assume any time you wish to do so. You become responsible simply by deciding to be, and then by living out your commitment with your attitude and your actions.
Great achievements begin when someone decides to take responsibility for making them happen. Have you ever driven through a large city and marveled at the tall buildings? Each one of them was built with responsibility. Have you ever read an exciting thriller that kept you captivated from the first page until the last? That book was written because someone took responsibility for telling the story.
What do you want to do with your life? Where would you like to go? What kinds of things would you like to own? What do you wish to avoid? How do you want to feel? What people do you want around you? Whatever it is you want, take responsibility for it. You can own your dreams. Indeed, if they’re to come true you must own them. The world is yours to the extent that you take responsibility for it.
Yes, there are always circumstances to blame. Yes, there are those who would hold you back. Yes, there are things beyond your control. Take responsibility anyway. People who achieve greatness believe that whatever happens to them, they are responsible for it. It may seem unfair, yet it is ultimately liberating. Those things for which you are responsible are the things that will propel your life forward.
You have a choice. You can always find someone, or something, to blame, and thereby allow circumstances and other people to control your life. Or, you can step up and take responsibility, no matter what. That puts you firmly in control, and gives you the power to live your life the way you choose. How much responsibility can you handle? That is precisely how successful you will be.
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