Personal Responsibility

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John C. Maxwell, author, and leadership expert explains, 'A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.' The greatest measure of personal responsibility comes in the ability to learn and grow, be open to new ideas and accepting the possibility that your individual beliefs are wrong. Failure, brings learning, experience, and wisdom. History is full of examples where this has been proven true, such as Abraham Lincoln, Michael Jordan, Ulysses S. Grant, and Thomas Edison. Hard to imagine what life would be like without the light, or if slavery still existed. Their examples provide undeniable evidence to the power of obligation and duty to personal responsibility. One man’s goal, commitment to personal responsibility brought equality, to thousands upon thousands of Americans and paved the road for many others for years to come.

In conclusion, remember attitude is everything, make wise choices, and learn from the bad choices. Develop an unwavering commitment to personal responsibility. True commitment defined is refusing to take the easy way out. I was 23 years of age, a Marine serving my first combat deployment to Iraq, when I faced the reality of my mortality. With a wife and young child at home, I prayed, and begged the Lord I would make it back home. Evaluating my life, I was filled with regret when I realized in 23 years I had not done much with my life. Besides serving my country, most of the time I just “got by”. The thought scarred me, “If I die in combat what would they tell my daughter about me in the future?” I decided then if I made it home, I would earn this life and be more responsible for it and accept no more excuses. This is a bit extreme but the sooner you decide to take the wheel the better. Life is going to happen anyways, why not take the wheel and steer? In parting remember the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “Manliness consists not in bluff, bravado or loneliness. It consists in daring to do the right thing and facing consequences whether it is in matters social, political or other. It consists in deeds not words.”

References:

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. (2011, Apr 20). US Fed News Service, Including US State News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/862577526?accountid=458

Personal Goal Setting. (1996-2013). Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html

Personal Responsibility. (2010-2013). Retrieved from http://www.the6healthyhabits.com/personal-responsibility.html

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