Taking Responsibility for Yourself and for Your Life

Are you enthusiastic about life? Do you wake up excited to face another day? Are you interested in your work and are you involved in it with intensity, energy, and zeal? Are you doing what you would choose to do were you to make a completely fresh start? Are you committing any time to activities you truly enjoy?

For one to live a happy and fulfilled life, the answer to these questions needs to be an enthusiastic YES. Otherwise, you may be dragging yourself about and performing tasks which don't really interest you. You may be heading someplace where you don't want to be... And we all know how that feels! Not very pleasant and a very negative energy.

When You Wake Up Feeling 'Blah!'

I have noticed that some days, I wake up early, full of energy and zest. I get up feeling ready to 'take on' the world. On the other hand, there are some mornings where I can't seem to get moving. Now, I am not talking of those mornings when I may be physically tired and need the extra sleep. I speak rather of those mornings when I've had enough hours of rest, yet can't seem to get motivated to 'rise and shine'... the mornings where everything seems to weigh heavily on my shoulders.

At those times, I ask myself what it is that I want to escape. "What is it in my life that keeps me from feeling enthusiastic about the upcoming day?" Of course it is easy to lay the blame on someone else. It's so-and-so's fault that I'm angry, it's their fault that I'm sad, confused, etc.

Yet when I'm honest with myself, I find that it's always my action (or inaction) that is the source of my lack of energy. Sometimes, it's a conversation that I have been delaying because I fear it for some reason; at other times, there is a situation or person that I don't want to deal with.


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On those "blah" days, there is usually something I am trying to avoid, and rather than have to face it, my avoidance is translated into a listless feeling of wanting to stay in bed. Rather than find a constructive way to deal with the situation, sleep seems to be the easier route. So I avoid taking responsibility by slipping into a state of avoidance, of listlessness.

The Question to Ask Yourself...

The question to ask yourself: Is that really the easier way? -- to procrastinate and try to avoid what we fear about the day ahead of us? We can't put anything off forever. We may think that we can, that we have shelved something "forever", yet our subconscious will remember and keep reminding us in subliminal ways. This is what it comes down to: We carry that feeling of the 'blah's' until we deal with what it is we're doing (or not doing) that is causing us to feel that way.

Unresolved issues are a drain on our energy. It's as if we have a tube connected to the 'problem' and energy keeps leaking from us until we sever the connection by changing our attitude, taking action, and resolving the issue. It also feels like the weight of a ball and chain, holding you down from soaring into joy and bliss.

So, if you wake up in the morning and feel as if you don't want to get out of bed, I would suggest you take responsibility for that feeling and ask yourself what it is you are hiding from... and then deal with the situation. Once you attend to those "unsolved mysteries", you'll be rid of the heavy feeling attached to the unresolved conflicts, and you will find that you've regained your lost enthusiasm. Believe me, your life will be much more enjoyable.

It Doesn't Have To Be Like This!

The avoidance of expected pain or imagined confrontations translates into a mediocre existence lacking in joy and vitality. our level of vibrancy is very different when we affirm and practice an enthusiastic and responsive approach to life.

Life can be joyful and happy. You can be like an exuberant child again -- eager to face the toys and joys of the day, and wanting to participate in all of the excitement life has to offer. Take a look at your life and see where you are siphoning off your own energy. Fix your 'leaky pipes' and live your life enthusiastically, always expecting the best, and looking forward to what each new day will bring.

Life's purpose is to live creatively, fulfilling our innermost and highest desires. Go for it! When we reach for our dreams and jump into them enthusiastically, taking responsibility for our thoughts and actions, we will be much happier (and healthier).

Recommended Book:

This article is excerpted from the book: Spiritually Rich and Sexy by Pamela Jo McQuade.Spiritually Rich and Sexy: A Woman's Guide to Becoming Infinitely Attractive
by Pamela Jo McQuade.

 

Click here for more info and/or to order this book.

About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.

Creative Commons 3.0: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License. Attribute the author: Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com. Link back to the article: This article originally appeared on InnerSelf.com

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