Was it my fault?

Why I am responsible for my actions and how accepting fault can make life easier.

Derek Sivers had a post a while back about how everything is his fault. (see: http://sivers.org/my-fault) In it, he talks about the epiphany he had when he realized, everything he was upset about was his fault. And how much his life has changed since he had that realization.

Realizing it is your fault is empowering. You aren’t a victim of fate. You made a mistake and now you can correct it. But you can only do that if you admit it is my fault and I am responsible for fixing the mess I’ve made.

To me, this is a perfectly Humanist approach to the problem of living.  I am responsible for my actions. I have to live with the consequences, so it is best that I choose my actions wisely.

Will I always choose optimally? Of course not. I am limited in my knowledge and my experience and my ability to devote time to figuring out whether what I know is even so.  The truth is, I have to prioritize my time.

I have to decide how much time and attention to give to my son, my husband, my work, my friends, and how much I volunteer to give back to the society in which I live. Each of these decisions involves a tradeoff.

Instead of blinding going along and hoping for the best, I feel it is better to at least be open to the possibility that I am completely blowing it. That way I can correct course quickly instead of driving off the proverbial cliff.

Does accepting fault make life easier? Oh heck yeah it does. I find that I can’t fix my problems until I admit that I have a problem. Admitting I have a problem is the hardest part.

What is your favorite aspect of taking responsibility?