Self-Responsibility

Having been on a journey of self-discovery since the age of 19 (to actually undo those 19 years and all the conditioning I went through during that time!) it is easy (most times!) for me to understand the idea of self-responsibility. It is second nature for me and it should be, its taken me 17 years to get to where I am now!

Over those years I have realised one thing, that it is not an easy path to accept responsibility for self! This is evident when I see others who really struggle with the idea. Everything is SO external, we live according to the way others want us to live or the way society portrays life to be. We think and feel according to all the EXTERNAL things in our lives that are beyond our control.

So how do you tell somebody (in the nicest way possible), that they are 100% responsible for their happiness? That they CHOOSE in any moment how they are going to think, how they feel? I remember constantly saying to my partner (who by the way totally understands self-responsibility after only 4 years!) “I don’t make you feel that way”

One of the things that helped me take responsibility for “self “was meditation. I practice a particular type of meditation called Vipassana meditation but most forms of meditation that allow you to sit, be still, relax, breathe and be in the present are worthwhile pursuing.

Vipassana meditation gave me a tool to take a look at myself and a lot of times this was very hard but over time it really helped me know who I am and get rid of the many things that were holding me back. It also allowed me to be more creative because my thoughts and creativity were coming from a purer mind. 

I am now very focused, everything is SO clear and balanced. I live a balanced life -most times! And I say this because I am not perfect, although I have tried to be in the past which was one of my downfalls. I have learnt to relax more and know that if everything is not in its place all the time, its not the end of the world!

As I have said in other posts, self-responsibility begins with the first step, deciding that you will be 100% responsible for your happiness and then go for it!!

Action

Find some form of meditation or relaxation that allows your mind to be still. You can start with just 5 minutes a day and increase this over time. And always, breathe and relax…

Inspirational Quote
This quote is from the book “The Art Of Living” as taught by SN Goenka and was written by William Hart. SN Goenka is a Vipassana meditation teacher who brought this technique of meditation to India from Burma. I will be forever grateful to him and the line of teachers that have gone before him for teaching this form of meditation to the world.

“The world will be peaceful only when the people of the world are peaceful and happy. The change has to begin with each individual. If the jungle is withered and you want to restore it to life, you must water each tree of that jungle. If you want world peace, you ought to learn how to be peaceful yourself. Only then can you bring peace to the world.”