I can say with a good amount of certainty, that I don’t meet many people who have a desire for their lives to be controlled by someone else.

In fact, the opposite desire, to have as much control as possible over their lives seems to be the popular choice by far. To be the captain of their ship sailing in the direction and speed they choose sounds like the ideal scenario for most people.

However, this desire for control is often swept away by the harsh winds of responsibility, carrying away the desire for control like a loose flag. 

Statements like “She made me…”, “I had to…” dangerously pervade our lives, seeping like water into the hulls of our ships and dragging us down to a painful reality that too many of us settle for and ultimately live. 

So here’s the question, why do so many of us hide from responsibility, what is there to gain when we stop taking responsibility?

What you gain from dropping responsibility is simple: an “opt out” option.

You gain a backup plan that if things didn’t work out, and you never had control in the first place, “Hey, at least I can’t be blamed.”

This can be categorized as an attitude of victimhood where the logic states a) you can’t be blamed because b) it wasn’t your responsibility/you didn’t have control.

To put it simply the truth of the matter is: this is dangerous. And we are dangerous when we do not take responsibility for how we behave, think and feel.

The bottom of the ocean where you sit after casting responsibility overboard, which in reality served as your guiding rudder and last ore, is a lonely and painful place.

To take charge of your ship, and create the life you want, you must be willing to begin by replacing language that implies a lack of choice with language that acknowledges choice.

It’s incredible to me the impact words have, and if you change your speaking habits I believe you will begin to see the impact as well!

Taking responsibility isn’t something to shun or shy away from but rather serves as the north star to guide your ship.