One of the biggest differences between me now and me 3 years ago is simple: I’ve taken responsibility for my life.
Now what I mean when I say taking responsibility, is accepting and taking ownership of my life.
I am responsible for my life, and everything that affects me is my responsibility to deal with.
And you need to be responsible for yours. You need to be responsible for your health by exercising regularly and eating well, you need to be responsible for your social life and ensuring you are social and maintaining friendships, you need to be responsible for everything that affects you. And I’m going to tell you how to get there.
I see a lot of young men in particular, who are angry at the world, they think that life isn’t treating them the same way it treats others.
And guess what…It isn’t.
Some people have far greater advantages than others, and some people are hit with terrible misfortune and suffering. And whichever end of the spectrum you are, you are responsible for your life.
Responsibility isn’t the same as fault: It’s not your fault that your parents are rich, it’s not your fault your dad died. But you are responsible for how these things affect your life, you choose how you deal with them.
Some people have lost family and consequently turned to drugs and alcohol, others have lost family and started charities or companies.
There are ways to deal with every situation, some better, some worse.
Your circumstances don’t define you, your response to them does.
I hear all the time on self-improvement forums “I can’t do that because…” I don’t care about the because, take some fucking responsibility and find a workaround.
The first step to gaining some responsibility for your life is realising that you are someone worth helping. You deserve someone to look after you and make sure you can be the best version of yourself possible. Make that person you. Recognise that responsibility isn’t a negative thing, It’s a privilege.
You GET to be responsible for your own life.
It’s incredible freeing to know that, while life may fuck you, ultimately you are responsible for your misery. You are also responsible for all of your achievements, successes and happiness.
So fucking own it.
The second step is starting to act like you are responsible for your life.
There is no third step.
Is your job shit? It’s your responsibility to either try and make it less shit, or quit.
Do you feel like shit? That’s your responsibility to figure out why and make changes
Are your relationships shit? Take some responsibility for it, cut people off if you need to, try harder, just know that It’s your responsibility to improve them.
Is your body shit? That’s your responsibility too bozo, go for a run or something idk.
Not sticking to your goals? Actually NOT your responsibility – I’m joking, of course it is you muppet.
You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to try. Take responsibility, do the work.
– bigjoerona
Theodore Lee is the editor of Caveman Circus. He strives for self-improvement in all areas of his life, except his candy consumption, where he remains a champion gummy worm enthusiast. When not writing about mindfulness or living in integrity, you can find him hiding giant bags of sour patch kids under the bed.