Are you responsible? Totally responsible for your life? Part 1 in the Choice Series

As an adult, are you responsible for the circumstances of your life? Or someone else?

It's comforting to believe that someone else is responsible, but is it true? Other people and situations have had some influence, large or small, but you are responsible. Why? Because you did whatever you did to get to your current situation, and you could have done something else. You're responsible!

Furthermore, this is good news! In fact, it's outstandingly good news! Huh, I hear you ask, how come?

Actions have Consequences
All actions have consequences, some affect your life and some don't. But all your actions have consequences for you. So How to change your life is to focus on those aspects which you can do something about. You choose your actions, your words, your thoughts, your beliefs. These have all combined to create your circumstances.

Yet you are totally responsible for what you say, what you think, and what you believe! If your self-sabotage mechanism challenges this, then who is responsible? If it's not you, who is? Your parents, or your teachers? No, they said what they said, but you didn't have to believe them. You don't have to self-sabotage by thinking exactly like them, or repeating their words. So you and only you are totally responsible.

Being negative about the circumstances doesn't change them, it gives your power away. Yet you did what you felt was right in the situation, everybody does. Being positive allows you to change your beliefs about what is right which will change your thinking. This changes your actions and you change your life.

Take Total Responsibility
This is only be possible when you take responsibility for your situation. Take total responsibility for you and your circumstances. You are totally responsible anyway, but without acknowledging this fact, you don't have the power that taking responsibility brings! Then you feel powerless, continue your self-sabotage, and complain at the consequences!

Rather use the feedback given by your current circumstances to change your beliefs. This can be viewed as scary, but where do your beliefs come from? Your parents, upbringing, school, family, friends, teachers, environment...

Children tend to accept what's said more easily, so beliefs are usually accepted without critical examination! Rarely do you choose your beliefs on the basis of whether they produce the results you want. Or even ask if they actually make any sense. But after critically investigating them, if they make no sense, they are probably non-sense, aka nonsense!

So if you're not getting the results you desire, or find yourself confused about things, it can often be because you haven't yet taken the responsibility to investigate your beliefs. Yet finding out what works for you, and what doesn't, is a crucial part of discovering how to change your life...

© Copyright worldwide Cris Baker, www.LifeStrategies.net All rights reserved. Republishing welcomed under Creative Commons noncommercial no derivatives license preserving all links intact, so please +1 and share this widely!

Food for Thought
"Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to be, no one else."

- Les Brown, American author, radio DJ, talk show host