Three simple words that I do not hear very often: "I did it." The ability to accept responsibility for our own actions, decisions and choices seem to be a missing commodity. It's always someone else's fault. He did it. She did it. They did it. It's my mama's fault. It's my daddy's fault. It's my neighbor's fault. It's the dog's fault. What about, "It's my fault. I did it?"
Accountability seems to be a lost art, a character trait that is very rare, yet very valuable. But, why is it rare, a lost art, a missing commodity? Because it's painful. It's painful to acknowledge our weaknesses, our faults and our short comings. We live in a society where people will use our weaknesses against us, a society where our conversations and life choices are broadcast on social media.
Nothing seems private anymore. Our secrets are not kept a secret, but are spread by the click of a key board or the pushing of a button. And, we don't like being exposed. Yet, sometimes, we expose others. We wrongfully accuse others. We say, "they did it," so that we will not be exposed. We say, "she did it," so that no one knows that we were the one who actually did it. We say, "it's her fault," or "they made me do it," because we know what will happen if our secrets get out. People will talk about us, make fun of us, we could possibly lose out on a promotion, lose our job, or more. We repeat it so much, to ourselves and to others, that we begin to believe it to be the truth.
Yet, it is not the truth. We did it. We said the wrong thing, made the wrong choice, accused the wrong (or right) person, took something that didn't belong to us. Simply say, "I did it." Will there be consequences? Yes. Painful? Sometime. But, the more we accept responsibility for our own actions, right or wrong, the more we will begin to make less wrong choices, and more right choices. At least, that's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it. :)
