The price of greatness is responsibility – Winston Churchill
The Paperboy
In this kid’s book, the lesson responsibility is clear. The boy owns a paper route and is responsible for delivering newspapers seriously. Every morning, in summer, when the weather is fair, or in winter, when it is cold, and the paperboy’s bed is warm, and it is hard to wake up, he rises before the world wakes up. He does his duty even in changing seasons. This example shows the power of responsibility. His Area of Responsibility (A.O.R) is where he shows up every day and accomplishes what he is committed to doing.
Taking responsibility increases our positive influence in the spheres we find ourselves in. I believe that we all have influence. However, the reach or effect of that influence is proportional to our willingness to be responsible. When people know you are responsible, trust and influence grows, and you become reliable. However, the path to responsibility can be riddled with the traps of excuses. The constant use of excuses to sidestep responsibility becomes the hammer that nails us into a stagnant life. Best-selling author James Clear said, “Life rarely changes in a positive way without the increase of responsibility.”
When people know you are responsible, trust and influence grows, and you become reliable.
What are your areas of responsibility (A.O.Rs) in this season of your life? Where are you finding it natural to excuse what you need to own? A third question to ask is, why are excuses your default? Without asking these hard questions, we can remain captive to our excuses, blinded to the freedom that comes with taking responsibility. My first area of responsibility is myself. To be the best version of myself means taking responsibility for my personal growth. In addition to influence, you will notice an uptick in trust and growth.
Qualities Born Out of Responsibility
Trust
When defining a person with superpowers, one of the strengths that comprise such a person is responsibility. And it is one of the most pressing needs of our day because it is the path to building trust, a quality we desperately need. A dodgy mentality about responsibility has dire consequences. When we avoid responsibility at home, work, school, and society, we leave those who depend on us in the lurch. But what we shirk from is eventually what we are shrunk by. Our trust shrinks piecemeal as we deflect responsibility instead of accepting it.
Growth
Aside from building trust, taking responsibility also creates room for growth. The probability of personal growth rises exponentially once we stop escaping responsibility and start to embrace it. A life comprising ease and excuses never catalyzes growth. Taking responsibility will often put you out of your comfort zone. But there, you will find growth and the potential to increase your influence.
A life comprising ease and excuses never catalyzes growth.
Final Thought: Responsibility is the art of handling your business. It is the connecting point between your present and future. Take a page from the paperboy, show up to your A.O.Rs, take ownership, and watch influence, trust, and growth rise as taking responsibility leads to our topic next week: reliability.
Keep on keeping on!
Notes
Pilkey, D: The Paperboy (2016)
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