On a flight home a few years back, my wife and I were startled by an alarm. It turned out a woman in the row in front of us had smoked a cigarette in the lavatory. We had noticed the distinct odor of cigarettes as she walked past.

A flight attendant appeared and explained to the woman that smoking on an aircraft is a federal offense. She informed her that our flight would be met by law enforcement officers when we landed.

The woman argued with the flight attendant and insisted she had only lit a match. Then she spent the rest of the flight pleading her case to her seatmates. She was angry and stated that she couldn’t believe the flight attendant was too stupid to explain what would happen when we landed. The alarm never stopped – everyone on the plane had to endure it for the remainder of the flight. Through it all, the woman never apologized or exhibited an ounce of remorse.

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Personal Responsibility

The concept of personal responsibility was instilled in me as a child. When you do something wrong, you take responsibility for it. You admit it, apologize, and try to make amends. We are all human, we all make mistakes.

That woman owed everyone on the plane an apology. She caused other passengers to be frightened. She subjected everyone to an annoying alarm that blared throughout the flight. Instead, she was incensed at being accused and she lashed out at the flight attendant, accusing her of incompetence. If anyone was incompetent on that flight, it was the idiot who smoked a cigarette. Smoking on airplanes hasn’t been legal for generations. Who doesn’t know that? Or does she think the rules don't apply to her?

Life is about Choices

Life is about choices. If you make good choices, you will have a good life. If you make bad choices, you will have a bad life. It’s all up to you. While it’s true that we don’t have control over every aspect of our lives, most of it we do. 

It’s important to recognize that we are in control. Some people go through life with a victim mentality. They blame others when things don’t go their way. Having a victim mentality renders you powerless. It makes you cynical and convinces you that success is unattainable.

We are not bandied about by life like some rudderless ship lost at sea. We have control over what happens in our life.

Success is at hand for each and every one of us. Look at Stephen Hawking. With the physical challenges he faced, who would have ever imagined he would become so famous and impactful? It just goes to show that no matter what life throws your way, you can overcome it.

The key to success is to living right. You have to identify problems, seek solutions, and make the right choices. It comes naturally when you accept personal responsibility for your life. Look at yourself in the mirror and know that you are the sum total of the choices you’ve made. For some it may be a tough pill to swallow, but once you accept it you will be rewarded with personal power.

No Excuses

The wind was blowing, the sun was in my eyes, the dog ate my homework. Excuses are the enemy of personal responsibility. When you make excuses, you let yourself off the hook for bad behavior and poor performance. It keeps you trapped in a cycle of failure.

Don’t make excuses. Accept responsibility for your actions and vow to do better. There is power in personal responsibility, and it’s yours for the taking. Accept nothing less than the best from yourself and don’t make excuses. If you aim for mediocrity, you will hit it every time. Aim for the sky and know this: it is never too late to turn your life around. As long as you are alive, there is hope.

Conclusion

If you want to succeed in life, you need to take responsibility for your actions. I encourage you to embrace the concepts laid out in this article. Put these principles into action and I promise you will see positive change in your life. As always, thank you for reading Eggstack News.

Photo credit: Pixabay Eggstack News will never post an article influenced by an outside company or advertiser. Our mission is to help you overcome uncertainty about retirement planning and inspire confidence in your financial future.