Want Freedom? Take 100% Responsibility

 ‘Bhaiyya, I hate it when people tell me to be responsible,’ said Rahul. ‘It’s suffocating. I feel like running away and be free of all responsibility.’

‘Interesting,’ said Rakesh. ‘So responsibility restricts your freedom.’

‘Yes bhaiyya,’ said Rahul. ‘Responsibility’s a burden. Makes me answerable. While freedom is no rules, no questions, no one telling me what to do.’

‘Is responsibility a bad thing I wonder,’ said Rakesh. ‘Would it be ok if a waiter in the canteen behaved irresponsibly? If our government, teachers or parents behaved irresponsibly?’

‘No way,’ said Rahul. ‘They’ve chosen to do that job. They must fulfill their responsibility, deliver results or face consequences. I didn’t choose – so why should I be responsible for others choices?’

‘Fair enough,’ laughed Rakesh. ‘So if we want good results and also feel free –we should find a place where responsibility and freedom coexist. Right?’

‘Impossible bhaiyya,’ said Rinku. ‘Responsibility and freedom can’t coexist.’

‘Let’s see,’ laughed Rakesh. ‘What would you have done if you had 100% freedom with your choices Rahul?’

 ‘Maybe play cricket, travel. Studied commerce, not science.’

‘Why didn’t you?’ asked Rakesh.

‘No choice bhaiyya,’ said Rahul.

‘Even not making a choice is a choice - so take responsibility for that,’ smiled Rakesh. ‘You also had a choice to discuss and convince your parents. Since you didn’t exercise your choice, they decided for you.  Freedom is not running away or doing half hearted things. True freedom is fully exercising and owning your choices. When we exercise part freedom and own part responsibility, it doesn’t work because we are answerable for the responsibility we chose not to own.  Tell me, why don’t we exercise our freedom fully?’

‘Because,’ said Rinku slowly. ‘We don’t want to take responsibility for our choices.’

‘Yes,’ said Rakesh. ‘When we exercise complete freedom we are also saying we will take complete ownership. Then we get the freedom to do things the way we want, get the results we want. But to feel free - you must take 100% responsibility for your work, not 99%.’

‘What if someone takes 100% freedom and 0% responsibility,’ said Rahul hopefully.

‘At zero responsibility there is zero guarantee of result,’ said Rakesh. ‘At 50% responsibility you’ll probably get 50% result – you can blame your parents and teachers for the other 50%. At 100% responsibility you get the best results because you do a 100% job. There’s no one to share your responsibility. And when you take full responsibility, you get total freedom to decide what to study, how to study, set targets. You make the effort and you accept the results. Thus 100% responsibility gives you 100% freedom - and the best results.’

‘Yes bhaiyya,’ said Rinku. ‘I’ll take full ownership for my choices. I feel free already.’

‘And I’ll take 100% responsibility to get hot samosas,’ said Rahul.

Pro tip: When we take 100% responsibility, we’re 100% free to make our choices.   Freedom is not running away, it is taking 100% responsibility for ourselves.

 

Exercise: Take one important area in your life that’s not working. Figure what it means to take 100% responsibility for it and share how it will work with others. Share if your new approach, without blame and excuse, makes you feel freer and happier.

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