Take Responsibility & Trust Yourself
All experience is preceded by mind, Led by mind, Made by mind. Speak or act with a corrupted mind, And suffering follows As the wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox.
All experience is preceded by mind, Led by mind, Made by mind. Speak or act with a peaceful mind, And happiness follows Like a never-departing shadow. -- The Dhammapada (Gil Fronsdal translation, Shambala, 2005)
There are moments in life that are defining. Some people think those moments are obvious and dramatically intense. I believe those moments are whispers. They are small unintentional acts that may change the way you see the world. And as you perform those small unintentional acts day in and day out they become a flurry of life changing activity.
I have a post by Seth Godin on my desk at work that I read every couple of days. The article is named “‘Pick yourself’ and taking responsibility”. The truth behind this piece of writing to me is the following:
“If you want to be responsible for making music, make music. If you want to be responsible for writing, speaking, making change happen, go do that. Waiting to get picked is a form of hiding, not realism.”
See we are so quick to point a finger and deflect accountability. When the truth is we are putting others in control of our own lives my doing so. The hardest part about life is the unknown. It is trying to understand WHAT it is that we want. What our purpose is, why that is our purpose. That said it’s with that understanding that an individual receives clarity over what our next steps can potentially be.
So how do you take ultimate responsibility for your own life?
Take ownership for what you’ve done, right or wrong
Visualize being at your happiest and start with those little things – walking your dog, lying on a beach, reading to your child… and then DO THOSE THINGS
Surround yourself with positivity – positive visuals, positive people, positive thinking
Don’t just say, DO. Act upon your thoughts, build the life you want
Many of these things are easier said than done, aren’t they? So much comes in the way… life comes in the way. And I by no means am an expert as I continue to find my own way.
This is why I believe small increments of change lead to those momentous times of evolution. When there is a time in life when you feel down and out, or stuck, the answer isn’t to quit your job, travel to Europe, and find yourself (though sometimes that can be the case!). The answer could be as simple as taking the afternoon off, sweating it out at the gym, get
ting a massage and having a good night’s sleep before facing reality the next day.
All in all, it is important to trust yourself. Listen to what it is you want, and build an outline on how to get there.
One day, one step at a time, you will.
