Honesty means being fair and telling the truth. Instead of admitting when we do something wrong, we often blame others. Being honest means owning up to our mistakes, even when it’s hard. We’re often told to be honest with ourselves, but do we really know what that means? Just like how Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the snake, we often don’t want to admit our own faults.
I have trouble being on time for work and events. I used to blame traffic, slow drivers, or anything else to avoid taking the blame, but to fix the problem I had to admit that I had my share of the blame as well. In fact, I was the major reason. It all started with me. Was I waking up early enough? Was I going to bed too late? Was I leaving the house in time? It seems simple, but our minds often shift blame to feel less stressed. It’s satisfying to blame others or something else for our mistakes.
So, why is it important to take accountability? The ability to take accountability for our actions cannot be overstated. It is the core component of success in life. Taking accountability allows us to improve in all aspects of our lives. By taking ownership of our actions, we become empowered and more effective. When we are accountable, we can manage our time better, communicate better, and become more reliable and dependable.
What can we do to start being responsible for our actions? One thing I noticed when I started taking responsibility for my actions is how strange it felt. Our natural instinct is to seek comfort, and our brain’s main job is to keep our body running smoothly. When we find ourselves in tough situations, our first instinct is to do whatever it takes to feel better, even if it means blaming something or someone else. Start taking ownership. Whatever we are doing, we must always take responsibility for the outcome, especially if it’s bad. There is always more than enough blame to pass around. Don’t shy away from it. Do not allow the brain to rationalize or justify the situation. Learn from every situation, take time to reflect on what went wrong, and identify ways to avoid making the same mistake.
