Redefining Responsibilty

Most of us see responsibility as control - about making choices and owning them. However life's outcomes are not entirely under our control. While we can influence the situations, many external factors also play a role. So what does it truly mean to be responsible ?

Instead of viewing responsibility as ownership of outcomes, we can see it as being in the present moment. Often we react to situations based on our conditioning, habits or emotions. This is reacting not responding. True Responsibility is to involve fully and consciously respond to the best of our ability. We can be fully involved when we do not blame, as it can lead to half hearted involvement. Even though we do not control situations entirely, we can refine how we respond in each circumstance. Every failure is an opportunity to upgrade our model of what works so that we can get better at handling similar situations.

When we accept responsibility in this way—not as control, but as presence—we feel less burdened, not more. We are no longer enslaved by guilt, blame, or the illusion of ultimate authorship. Instead, we engage with life fully, responding as best we can.

Responsibility, then, is not about "choosing correctly." It is about not turning away—being here, now, open to whatever arises.