Joe's JOLT! - re-spon-si-bil-i-ty

re-spon-si-bil-i-ty

I was drinking my cowboy coffee the other morning and thinking about this word.

Responsibility.

I reached for my Oxford American Dictionary.

Responsibility: the opportunity to act independently.

Most people react in situations. Meaning, they immediately let their emotions take charge of them, be it anger, fear – letting their opinions cloud whatever is happening – instead of the other way around.

I think it is hard-wired into us – the reacting. Something primitive from the days where human survival depended on it.

But humans have grown.

You have the ability to respond.

The ability to perceive in a different way.

To think.

When something happens outside of your control, you can take a step back, breathe and think.

Think, is this actually true? How can I figure this out? What can I learn from this – attain a new skill that will make me better?

It’s the difference between reacting and responding.

Reacting is negative, responding lets you figure it out like a calm, sane person.

You are in charge of your emotions; they are not in charge of you.

And everything is figure-out-able.

It’s what sets humans apart from other animals – this ability of a higher being – to think independently.

So going back to the word, responsibility.

It is your ability for response (response-ability).

It is your ability to respond – and not react.

Per my Oxford, the opportunity to act independently.

But you must first be able to think independently – before you can take the best action.

Independently from what others are doing, what their opinions are, and what they think you should be doing.

The ability to THINK – for yourself.

It is your responsibility.