Take Responsibility For Your Actions - And Avoid Blame

We all make mistakes, right and wrong. When we make them, we must take responsibility for our actions and their consequences. It is in accepting our responsibility to learn and grow from these mistakes that we will grow in strength and trust our abilities. When we accept responsibility for our own actions, we empower ourselves to make choices that are best for us and for others.


We can decide to accept responsibility for our own mistakes and move on. Or we can continue to replay the same mistakes over again in an attempt to correct those mistakes. Those who have learned to accept their mistakes and forgive themselves for them to move forward. Those who stubbornly insist on holding onto their mistakes and refuse to forgive themselves or others have failed in their attempts to learn, grow, and trust themselves.

When we accept responsibility for our own actions, we remove the ability to blame others or anyone else for our own actions. We no longer can use our excuse of "I didn't know" to escape blame or accountability. We no longer can use other people's imperfections to escape accountability for our own actions. We also no longer can use God or another higher power to escape from living with consequences. Instead, we can come to understand that we all have free will and are accountable to ourselves only.

When we take responsibility for our own actions, we empower ourselves to do the best things for ourselves and to do the good things that we want to do. We then become happy with our decisions, and our happiness comes from the knowledge that we have choices and can choose to act on those choices. This means that we have control of our own destinies. We no longer blame others, and we no longer get angry when failures occur. Instead, we come to understand that we have the capacity for changing our course of action, and the better opportunities that come our way.

When we take responsibility for our actions, we also free ourselves from the guilt that often accompanies actions that we don't like or believe that we are responsible for. Grief is another emotion that arises when a loved one dies or suffers from a debilitating disease. Guilt, anger, and sorrow are emotions that come with the awareness that there is something that we did or said that was inappropriate. However, if we take responsibility for our actions, then those emotions arise faster! We have the ability to change the course of our actions and even the future that lies ahead.

The greatest advantage that we have comes when we take responsibility for our own actions. If we sincerely wish to be a better person, and more helpful to our family, co-workers, friends, and even to ourselves, then we will have to make some mistakes along the way. When we accept responsibility for those mistakes and learn from them, then we free ourselves not only from guilt but from the burden and shame that accompany the false sense of shame that others experience when they blame others or when they admit to making mistakes.

By making decisions that are in our best interest, we can feel good about ourselves, and we can also look forward to future successes. It is amazing how many people feel bad when they think about their own choices or about the decisions that other people make. However, by working on these things, we will improve our self-image and our confidence. This can go a long way toward helping us to grow and achieve success.


In the final analysis, I would like to say that it is possible to completely avoid the blame game. When we take responsibility for our actions, we are taking the first step to becoming the kind of leader we want to be. It doesn't matter whether you blame someone else, whether you believe that it is your fault or not. As long as you are willing to take accountability for your own actions, and are willing to make changes when necessary, you will succeed in life. You will grow in wisdom and learn to do things differently the next time.