The Ultimate Responsibility

All too often what we think is not how we live. Perception and reality can be poles apart. Thoughts and actions can have little or no connection. That which we imagine to be true may in fact be the opposite.

Too many people spend far too much of their time in a confused state. The problem is that a lack of clarity over an extended period of time can be psychologically damaging.  The more uncertain we are, the more uncertain we can become. The more disconnected we become, the more removed we are from everyday society.

The grim reality is that we can run the risk of not only losing connection with those around us but, more importantly, losing connection with our own self.

It’s when we are no longer able to recognise who we are and why we are that we lose touch with where we are.

We have to make friends with ourselves. We have to get to know the person we are and, in doing so, understand and accept our strengths and weaknesses.

And if, in the process, we identify character traits or behaviour patterns that we find unacceptable or questionable, it’s a very good idea to work on changing them.

Others can point out what they perceive to be our flaws or short-comings but it is only the individual who can decide to change and then do something about it.

We are responsible to ourselves and for ourselves. That, then, is the ultimate responsibility.

While we can never expect to achieve a state of perfection there’s always room for improvement. Becoming a better version of ourselves is value-adding. It can be a slow and often painful process but it’s ultimately rewarding.

We owe as much to our friends and family. Most importantly we owe as much to ourselves.