by Dawn Hawkins

Created on: January 07, 2009

There comes a time in your life that you must learn to take responsibility for your behavior. For some it comes sooner than for others. There are many people that live daily with the idea that they can do whatever it is they choose and not have to take any responsibility for its outcome. They live in a fantasy world brought on by the fact that they either have never faced the consequences for those actions or simply because they don't care about the consequences.

Here is one prime example. O.J. Simpson. He never really had to face the consequences of his actions from the past. It never occurred to him that he should behave any differently because he wasn't held accountable for them. He is then convicted of a crime and will probably spend what is left of his life behind bars. Why was he so shocked about the outcome of this trial? Because he thought that since he was O.J. Simpson he could do what he wanted to do. That meant even to the detriment of the safety of others. I am not simply talking about the Nicole Simpson/Ron Goldman murders. He was acquitted of those crimes and so it shall be. I am referring more to his attitude about things in general.

There are thousands upon thousands of people everyday that don't take into account consequences. What is right and wrong don't hold any distinction for these types of people. I personally know many of them. They walk around as if they own the world. I suppose to some extent they do. But what happens to them in the end and how many people will get caught up in their journey and get hurt by it?

Learning to take responsibility for your behavior is a journey. You must be willing to do it. You must realize at some point in your life that you are hurting others. You must realize that eventually it will hurt you. That's not to say it hasn't already hurt you or others. What exactly do you want people to remember about you?

If you choose to, you can make huge strides towards being a better person. Part of the better person has to be taking responsibility for what you do everyday. Here are a few tips on how to accomplish that feat:

1. Know why you want to make that change- Find out what it is you dislike most about your actions and try to understand why you do them. This is the hardest yet most important step in learning to take responsibility for your actions.

2. Be conscious- Pay attention to yourself. Try to catch yourself doing the things that you want to change the most about your actions. When we are aware that we are doing and just how often we are doing it, it becomes easier for us to change it.

3. Stand firm in your conviction- Be strict with yourself. When you catch yourself doing something that you know you shouldn't be doing or don't want to do, find a way to discipline yourself for that action. That sounds a little bit strange I suppose, but it works. A favorite of mine is to just feel ashamed. That is usually enough to jolt me back to visual of my goals. (my worst attribute is talking about people)

4. Realize how much better you feel- When you take responsibility for your behavior you will find that you feel much better about yourself and things in general. This will keep you on a fast track to living a better life.

Taking responsibility for your behavior is part of being in a civilized society. It gives you self-respect and the respect of others. No one expects anyone to be perfect. What is expected is for you to do your very best. If you make a mistake, own up to it. It might not get you off the hook completely but it will allow you to look in the mirror with a bit of a clearer conscience.

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