Working on Our Own

I was brought up to take personal responsibility for my work.

Over and over I heard, “If you want something done right, you need to do it yourself.” I knew that I was the most committed, most persistent, most responsible person I could find. I was the person who would keep on working until the work was completed.

Being the person who could get things done became part of who I was. I could do it on my own.

I appreciate the process of sorting things out, finding the order to navigate a way through a chaotic situation.

I have found that my best work is not merely sorting out and navigating. My best work is accompanying and guiding people through the chaos.

My work is no longer just about taking personal responsibility for what I do. I help people take the responsibility they want to take for themselves.

A lot of people believe in doing things for themselves. We work as hard as we can for as long as we can. Sometimes we get stuck and we need a little help.

We may need to look at things a little differently, or reconsider things we have already decided are obstacles. We may need to remember our own stories and the lessons we have already learned. We may need to look at ourselves differently.

We may need to stop working long enough to take a deep breath, sit for a moment, and recover our ability to reflect.

Personal responsibility is more than just working until the work is completed. Working on our own is about learning how to work in ways that strengthen who we are.

We are working things out on our own.

Who helps you take personal responsibility for yourself?

What are you working out on your own?

[Image by Shaun Dunphy]