Personal Responsibility
I was driving down the street and came up behind a dump-truck. On the back of the truck was a sign that read, “Warning. Stay at least 300 feet behind this truck. Not responsible for debris from road.” The more I thought about this warning, the more I understood its true purpose. It was not serious about telling people to stay 300 feet away. We were in town and no one stays a football field away from the vehicle in front of them. The purpose of the sign was to say, “Not my fault!” The purpose was to dodge blame and shift it to someone else. A couple of days after that I heard a radio advertisement for “Payday loans.” Payday loans are very expensive. One can pay $100 a month in interest for a $400 loan. At the end of the advertisement, in very quick words, the announcer said, “Use payday loans responsibly.” With those four words, the lender was no longer at any fault. He warned the listener. If someone abuses the payday loan, it is his or her fault.
Denying responsibility and shifting blame is as old as mankind. In the original sin, Eve blamed Satan. Adam blamed Eve. Adam even blamed God. Their child, Cain, killed his brother, Abel. It was easier for Cain to see Abel as the source of his problems than to face up to his own flaw.
A child who fails a test will come home from school and claim he failed the test because “my teacher hates me.” By not seeing the need for personal responsibility will lead a student to fail more tests. If you think you cannot get ahead in life because your boss is evil or your coworkers are holding you back, you are missing the point. Until you accept personal responsibility for your own life, you will be doomed to mediocrity or failure.
Personal responsibility is the first step to overcoming. The man or woman who blames others for his or her own problems will stay stuck in the problem. The man or woman who blames himself or herself has begun the journey to victory. The one who blames no one, but takes action is on the right road.
~Lonnie Davis