Accepting Personal Responsibility

Accepting Personal Responsibility includes:

* Acknowledging that you are solely responsible for the choices in your life.

* Accepting that you are responsible for what you choose to feel or think.

* Accepting that you choose the direction for your life.

* Accepting that you cannot blame others for the choices you have made.

* Recognizing that you are your best cheerleader; it is not reasonable or healthy for you to depend on others to make you feel good about yourself.

* Not feeling sorry for the "bum deal" you have been handed but taking hold of your life and giving it direction and reason.

* Protecting and nurturing your health and emotional well being.

* Taking preventive health oriented steps of structuring your life with time management, stress management, confronting fears and burnout prevention.

* Taking an honest inventory of your strengths, abilities, talents, virtues and positive points.

* Letting go of blame and anger toward those in your past who did the best they could, given the limitations of their knowledge, background and awareness.

How can failing to accept personal responsibility result in negative consequences?

When you have not accepted personal responsibility, you can run the risk of becoming:

* Overly dependent on others for recognition, approval, affirmation and acceptance.

* Chronically hostile, angry or depressed over how unfairly you have been or are being treated.

* Fearful about ever taking a risk or making a decision.

* Overwhelmed by disabling fears.

* Unsuccessful in personal relationships.

* Emotionally or physically unhealthy.

What do people believe who have not accepted personal responsibility?

* It's not my fault I am the way I am.

* Life is unfair! There is no sense in trying to take control of my life.

* Why go on; I see no use in it.

* You can't help me, nobody can help me. I'm useless and a failure.

* Life is so depressing. If only I had better luck and had been born to a healthier family, or attended a better school, or gotten a better job, etc.

* My parents made me what I am today!

* The problems in my family have influenced who I am and what I will be; there is nothing I can do to change that.

* No matter how hard I work, I will never get ahead.

* I am who I am; there is no changing me.

What behavior traits need to be developed in order to accept personal responsibility?

In order to accept personal responsibility you need to develop the ability to:

* Seek out and to accept help for yourself.

* Affirm yourself positively.

* Recognize that you choose your responses to the people, actions and events in your life.

* Let go of anger, fear, blame, mistrust and insecurity.

* Reorganize your priorities and goals.

What are the steps in accepting personal responsibility?

Answer the following questions:

How frequently do you claim that others have determined what you are today?

How easy is it to accept that you are responsible for your choices in life?

How easy it is to believe that you determine the direction your life takes?

How easy is it to blame others for where you are today?

What masks do you hide behind to avoid accepting personal responsibility?

How rational are you in dealing with the part you played in being who you are today?

How easy is it to accept blame or admit mistakes?

How frequently do you feel sorry for yourself?

How easy is it to let go of guilt if you stop rescuing those in your life?

How willingly do you take preventive steps to ensure your physical and emotional health?

How successfully have you practiced self-affirmation in your life?

How successfully have you practiced anger work out and letting go in order to get on with your life?