Personal Responsibility: Own It

Personal Responsibility: Own It

James Elliott

GEN/200

11/26/2012

Reginal Miller

Personal Responsibility: Own It

Although the consequences of the decisions we make in life are sometimes felt by others, everyone is ultimately responsible for their own choices and the resulting consequences of those decisions. Personal responsibility is accepting that our successes and failures are a result of the choices we make. We as individuals must take charge of our lives and absolutely cannot develop a victim mentality.

Personal responsibility is "Acknowledging that you are solely responsible for the choices in your life" (Lawson, 2011, Accepting Personal Responsibility, para.1). Everyone is responsible for their own choices in life and the consequences that go along with them. You are successful or unsuccessful in life not because the actions of others but because you make the decisions and choices necessary to make that happen. In an educational situation there are many instances where you have the option to make the choice to do something that will benefit your future or be detrimental to it. You do not have to study for the exam for nobody is going to force you to do so. But the resulting scores will be a reflection of that choice. You do not have to obey the law, but a pending jail sentence will not be served by someone else.

Personal responsibility is the difference between being an adult and child. When we are children we have very little responsibility. We are told what to do and when to do it. What we cannot do ourselves the ones in an authoritative role do it for us. At that point our responsibility lies in our ability to learn how to live and survive in the world. As we get older there comes a point where what happens in our lives becomes the product of our own decisions. This is the point where we become adults. The point where our actions and decisions and the consequences associated with them become ours. Where mommy and daddy can no longer make choices for you and will be unable to absorb the resulting consequences. Adulthood brings with it many wonderful freedoms but with it also comes the responsibility of those freedoms. Most noteworthy is the freedom of choice. Once we, as children, understand this concept we are able to shape our lives as we see fit.

The most important reason everyone is responsible for their own choice in life and the consequences that go along with them is because personal responsibility gives us the freedom to live our own lives. Understanding this gives one the opportunity to experience true freedom. It is realizing that your current situation is a result of your own decisions and can be changed when and if you want it to, but only by taking the choice into your own hands.

Personal responsibility is the key to attaining academic success. For most people attending college is the beginning of a journey towards success in all aspects of life. As college students it is now up to us to gain and utilize the skills needed to take on the challenges that will undoubtedly arise. At this point many students are for the first time basically on their own. There is no longer anyone standing over our shoulder forcing us to do to things. This is a great moment of maturation for a student and whether or not we succeed or fail depends on the choices that we as individuals make. Choice is a key word in a college atmosphere. Everyday certain choices are made that will eventually decide our fate as students. It is now up to us whether we choose to do things like study, attend class, and prepare for exams. None of these things are required to be students but are absolutely required to become successful ones. We must choose to make a commitment to academic success and follow through with that process. There is no one that is going to learn the material for us and we must take it upon ourselves put in the time and effort necessary