The Weight or Wait of Responsibility

How do you see responsibility? I see it as a continuum which we slide back and forth along, depending on our level of knowledge, our beliefs, the set of circumstances we find ourselves in, and the people we share those circumstances with.

The Oxford dictionary gives a few definitions for responsible which centre around an obligation to do something, making independent decisions, being trustworthy, having control over or caring for someone or something. It also refers to being the primary cause of something, where you can either be blamed or credited for it.

With respect to Oxford, I’d like to consider redefining responsibility, at least where it relates to human interactions. I don’t believe we can control other people and that we don’t even have full control of ourselves! So, if we could bring the focus to what we can control, I would brazenly suggest these words:

Responsible (adj): Taking accountability for one’s own decisions, actions and spoken words.

When it comes to taking responsibility, we are geared to seek balance through our connections. Where we don’t have the knowledge, confidence (or interest), someone else does! “Teamwork makes the dream work!” And balance is key. Taking on much or too little can be a stress to us, and to those around us.

If we have the belief that we’re incapable of responsibility in a certain area of our life, we wonder why things keep “happening to” us. We may feel stuck in that situation, we may blame other people or our body for failing us. In a kinesiology balance, we’d work on building confidence, decisiveness, and empowerment.

If you can identify an area in your life where this feels relevant, consider these questions:

1. Could your words and actions be feeding into your own feelings of inadequacy?
2. Where could you be in five years if things remain as they are?
3. How could that change if you were willing to try something different?
4. Can you give yourself permission to make mistakes, knowing that as you learn from them you’ll gain confidence?
5. What’s one small step you could take right now to empower yourself?

There may be another area of life where we take on a heavy burden of obligation; where we feel that things are “all on us.” We may feel compelled to take action, and we may also feel unsupported, overwhelmed and burnt out. We feel tension in the relevant relationships – perhaps resentment towards the people we feel are refusing or unable to share the load. We also carry a lot of tension in our physical body. Imagine trying to play a team sport all on your own! In a kinesiology balance, we’d work on identifying and letting go of what is outside our control, patience, and acceptance.

If you can relate to these feelings, consider these questions:

1. Could your words and actions be feeding someone else’s feelings of inadequacy?
2. Where could you be in five years if things remain as they are?
3. How could that change if you were willing to try a different approach?
4. Can you be with the tension of not acting – to allow someone else to do it their way, make their own mistakes and accept their own consequences?
5. What’s one small step you could take right now to lighten your load?

When you come in for a kinesiology balance, my role is to facilitate. I don’t take responsibility for you; I am responsible for my words and actions as I work with you to make the changes you want in your life, by identifying stresses on the relevant levels of consciousness. I help you to process emotions, life experiences and long held beliefs that may be standing in your way of moving forward. I’ll collaborate with you to identify actions you could take after the session to support the balance, but if you choose not to do them, I don’t feel responsible.

I choose to work with clients who are willing to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing. I support you to be the best version of yourself, so that you get to live the life you choose.

If you’d like to live an empowered life with more freedom and enjoyment, you’re most welcome to book a kinesiology balance.

Photo by Daniel Born on Unsplash