“We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is
guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept
that each individual is accountable for his actions.”
– Ronald Reagan
(1911-2004)
Former U.S. President
"For we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed
for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
- Saint Paul
2 Corinthians
5:10 / NASV
I have written before about my young friend who I would go
visit in the state prison. He made many
foolish and destructive decisions in his youth and did much wrong. However, one day he became a Christian. This was not a jailhouse conversion. In fact, he became a Christian before his
arrest for crimes he did earlier that caught up to him. He was tried, found guilty and sent to
prison. He was also the first to tell
you, he did the crimes and deserved what he got. That is not such a common story in prison.
I
talked with him for many years and saw in him a quality that I do not always
see in people who enjoy full freedom.
For one, he was one of the most grateful people I have ever known. Truly grateful for every kindness shown him,
for the sun coming up in the morning, a cool breeze or a walk in the prison
yard. He was also one of the most
responsible people I have known. He did
not blame his misfortune on society, others or the God he loved dearly. He knew he was the one who did wrong and he
was the one who must pay for it.
You do
not have to go to prison to learn responsibility for your actions. I believe it does make the consequences of
our action a bit more real, but I would not recommend it to your coaching
clients. All it really takes is a bit of
thinking and common sense. It is
realizing that everything you do, good or bad, has a consequence. To every action there is an equal
reaction. Nothing is without some kind
of effect. It is like dropping a stone
in a pond, it will always cause ripples.
Help
your clients - and yourself - ask the all important question, "Am I
willing to live with the consequences of my action?" If you really think about that before you act
you will many times make better decisions.
Responsibility is not for the weak or cowardly. Responsibility means that I understand that
the action I take will have an effect and I am willing to make that a good
effect by making a good decision. People
who are responsible understand that they have much more to gain in life than to
lose.
Responsible
people do make mistakes. However, they
learn from them, take ownership of them and turn them into victories in
life. Being responsible is an act of
courage. It take a brave heart to be
willing to own their actions.
Responsible people can be trusted and therefore tend to succeed in all
they do.
Responsible people are people
who are in control. They do not have to
fear being caught, looking over their shoulder to see who is watching them or
create lies to cover bad decisions. They
know that they own their actions and therefore they are in control of their own
life and that life is good.
You matter to the world. You are here to make a difference and that
difference is good. Remember the
qualities of a real success-minded person: Be your best. Love God.
Have good manners. Discover the unknown.
Change the world.
John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker,
and Life Coach. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books,
training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our
website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.
© 2014 John
Patrick Hickey
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