This I Believe - 2012

I believe in accountability.

I believe in accountability because it is an engine for change in my life.

When I hold myself accountable, I'm forced to stand up and publicly admit my mistakes, and do what needs to be done to make it right.

When I hold myself accountable, I'm not able to rationalize my bad decisions. I must take responsibility for them, and make better choices in the future.

When I hold myself accountable, I'm forced to admit that when I choose an action, I choose the consequence of that action. This gives me the strength to make the right choice instead of the easy one.

When I hold myself accountable, I can see my relationships and my life more objectively. This allows me to more accurately determine where I could have worked harder and done better, and where the right thing to do is to cut my losses and move on. 

The longer I hold myself accountable, the stronger my moral courage becomes, as doing the right thing becomes a habit rather than a struggle.

If I've been able to change my life and become the person I want to be, it's the result of holding myself accountable. If I want to be courageous, to be honest, to be generous, to live the kind of life that will result in the world being a better place for having me in it, then I must be accountable to myself for those outcomes.

I believe holding myself accountable allows me drive the change in my life that I want and need.