Responsibility
can take on many forms. There are many things that we can do and
many ways that we can think. After Forgiveness teaches us how to
accept that the world can change outside of our control, the spirit
of Responsibility teaches us that there are spaces in the world where
we do have an influence. So what then is Responsibility?
Etymologically, responsibility is one's ability to respond.
Socially, it's a response to that which needs to be accomplished.
Following this definition, however, I'd like to introduce a new
concept; one that I have titled “The Theory of Responsibility.”
The
Theory of Responsibility: If you notice that something needs to be
done and you also acknowledge that no one else has committed to it,
then through your awareness to that need, it is now your
responsibility.
What
does this mean? This means we must be both attentive and committed
to action. This means that we don the courage for initiative. This
can be something simplistic such as some litter on the street that
you notice then properly discard or it can be something much more
profound such as Mother Teresa's vocation to feed the children of
Calcutta. The comprehension of Responsibility is the awareness to a
personal call to action. There are times when you will personally
need to accept actions as your own. When no one else is doing
something that you feel ought to be done, do it yourself! To notice
it and then ignore it can be considered laziness. This is why Sloth
has been categorized as a deadly sin. It is your responsibility to
create action where there is none.
