Being responsible refers to our ability to make decisions that serve our own interests and the interests of others. We first need to be responsible for ourselves before we can be responsible for others. In learning to be more responsible it is important that we know our limitations. It does not matter how smart we are, there is only so much responsibility that a person can handle. It is also important to remember that we are not responsible for things that are out of our control, for example, how other people feel or how they react to ourselves or others. Sharing responsibility for both success and failure can lead to increased responsibility to oneself and others.
When you hear the word "responsibility," what do you think of first? Many people think of the word BLAME, as in, "Whose responsibility is this?" I think of responsibility as seizing what's in front of you, exerting choice, and taking control. The real meaning of responsibility is the ability to respond. It's going out and creating what you want through personal choices. The responsibility that each of us has is that we are completely, 100% responsible for how our lives turn out. If you think that being responsible at all times is too hard or too easy, think again; the truth falls somewhere in between. Being responsible involves having some skills, a caring and open attitude, and a good sense of what we can and cannot do.
We have a choice to pick out "duties." But I'm "responsible" for myself. You can't drink a glass of water for me. You can't eat a sandwich for me. You could cook a beautiful steak and put it in front of me, but you can't eat it for me, is that correct? And you can't go to the bathroom for me. So I'm "responsible" for all that. I'm responsible for how I feel. You can't think for me. You can't act for me. You can't do any of those things.
Success is often measured by material possessions that a person acquires and by the recognition of others for the attainment of such possessions. Many people take pride in their achievements and always seek new ways to either refine or strengthen the ways by which they meet their goals. Success is essentially driven and manifested by possessing an attitude that facilitates a strict personal responsibility for all actions and consequences. Accepting responsibility for one’s actions is usually fostered during childhood and increases in high school when applying for college, the time when many are getting ready to be adults (Essential Life Skill, 2006).
Responsibility is a quality that can be interpreted as the hallmark of the fully integrated, fully functioning human beings. Before a person becomes responsible, he or she must first understand what personal responsibility means (Hereford, 2007). It is essentially taking individual accountability for one’s actions. In other words, it is being able to take care of oneself without blaming or expecting others to do it for oneself. Self-reliance can play a role in three of the major aspects of a normal student’s life: school, work and home. In school, it means turning homework in on time; at work, it means completing tasks effectively with due diligence, and in one’s home life it means committing to personal relationships (Hereford, 2007). This conglomerate that makes up a large portion of a person’s life relies on responsibility as its precursor. But a person first needs to be self-disciplined, committed and loyal to become responsible enough to effectively function in all facets of life.
