Introduction
One of the key factors that lead to success in life is being responsible. From childhood, my parents and the whole society at large have been pushing me to show responsibility through my actions, feelings and utterances.
The question that is left begging is: What does responsibility entail? In my opinion, responsibility is making decisions that are mutually beneficial to me and the people that I interact with in everyday activities. This paper shall define this term and evaluate its application in my personal life.
Responsibility: A Brief Overview
Responsibility refers to one’s ability to perform assigned duties and obligations satisfactorily. This entails taking care, being accountable and accepting the results of one’s actions, feelings and utterances. Throughout my life, I have come to the realization that no matter how smart one is, responsibilities play a pivotal role in the facilitation of success in any endeavor.
In addition, I have come to terms with the fact that as a human being I cannot be responsible for things that are out of my control. For example, you are not responsible for people’s feelings about you or others in society and efforts to change such perceptions may prove to be deleterious.
Personal view on the meaning of Responsibility
I believe that responsibility is about seizing opportunities, making the right choices and having control of different situations no matter how challenging they are. It is my ability to respond appropriately by facing the world and actualizing my desires through personal choices.
For example, my parents have always insisted that I exercise patience and discipline in all I do. They argue that these virtues make for a responsible person. As such, I have always applied these virtues in all I do and as a result, people around me consider me as a responsible person.
In the world we live in today, responsibility is measured by the level of efficiency one exhibits as he/she performs a given task. Be it at home or at work, responsibility is hinged on the realization that our actions contribute positively or negatively to the lives of those who rely on us. As such, failure to meet such obligations constitutes to us failing or letting them down.
While man is to error, responsibility demands that we accept our failures because it is through such situations that one becomes more responsible. For a very long time, I associated responsibility with blame.
This is mainly due to the fact that people always demanded to know who was responsible for a particular mishap. However, I have come to understand that responsibility is not only based on successful execution of tasks, but also on one’s ability to accept and own his/her mistakes (accountability).
As a man, there are various duties and obligations that the society expects me to perform. Key among them is to excel in education. Education plays a significant role in character building. For example, a student who plans his/her time effectively, achieves the set goals (grades, discipline and respect) is often viewed as a responsible person. This is because such a student performs successfully in the tasks given at school.
As such, an educated person is responsible in the sense that he/she understands what is expected of him/her in regard to personal behavior, career and social objectives. My parents insisted that excellence in education leads to better responsibilities.
I have witnessed this through my career, whereby I have to delegate duties and manage employees. In essence, I am responsible for them and they rely on me as much as I rely on them for success.
Similarly, responsibility is about balance. A person who takes care of his family is viewed as a responsible man in society. This kind of responsibility is not based on his financial ability, but rather, on his ability to balance his work and family lives effectively. I remember my father telling me that I should not focus on my personal career and forget my duties to those people that I care about.
As an example, he told me how a friend of his concentrated on his job so much that he ended up losing his family. One may argue that he was responsible at work by coming in on time, finishing tasks efficiently and before the deadline or even working overtime. However, he failed his family and people in society viewed him as an irresponsible person.
Personally, I have worked very hard throughout my life to become a responsible person. While I have succeeded in most areas (personal health, hygiene, reputation and finances), there are numerous challenges that shake my confidence.
One of the main challenges is dealing with people who do not care how their actions affect others. I know that through our choices, we determine how our lives turn out. As such, dealing with an irresponsible person gives me grief.
Conclusion
From this paper, it has been established that responsibility is not merely executing the tasks we are assigned, but also being brave enough to admit our mistakes and the consequences that arise from them. If people understand responsibility the way I do, they will make this world a better place even for future generations.