Thursday, August 25, 2011

Day One: Taking Responsibility

Isn't it awful to feel out of control? I felt that way for a time when I lived in Chicago and felt that I had no choice but to stay and wait for my husband to finish grad school. No choice but to take the job that I was offered, despite it being not what I really wanted to be doing. No choice but to take the bus or the train day after day because I didn't have a car. But what I didn't understand was that I did have a choice and those are the decisions that I made. I chose to stay in Chicago because I couldn't imagine living without my husband for even one day. I chose to take the job I did because it allowed me to have flexibility and time to explore other interests. I chose to use public transportation because it allowed me freedom from the responsibility of having a car in the city. It was all in how I framed it. Here's another example of someone taking responsibility for her life. She did not choose to lose her husband suddenly and be left with two young children to raise. But she is choosing to express herself in an honest and healthy manner and to be a role model for her kids. Totally inspiring and heart wrenching at the same time.

Today's step towards success and happiness is called "how to take responsibility for your life". Do you truly take responsibility for your thoughts and actions? I know I have fallen into a pattern of blaming others for any dissatisfaction I may feel at work. I blame the schedule, the culture, the politics, the leadership, etc. It's an easy trap to fall into and not the first time I've fallen. I'm trying to see my life as a series of choices I've made rather than things that have "happened". You really do have control over your life. Or at least how you react to the things that occur. If you know where it is you ultimately want to be, you can begin to take steps, make choices, to help yourself get there.

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