Why Taking Your Responsibility is Different

Is there a type of responsibility you crave to take on? Learn what is real and fake responsibility.

Tweet

Responsibility has a bad rap. For many, it’s tied up in authority figure’s, parent’s, and bad friend’s critical judgements. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth just thinking of the word. The accusation you’re not taking responsibility is often tactical. It’s a fancy way for others to demand more out of you at best and a powerful way to manipulate you at worst.
Sometimes this demand is fair. Before pushing back, give the devil his due. We do owe it to others to be there, support them, and do our fair share. Sometimes it’s hard to see and we need a good friend to give us a push. But, more often, we’re left with the all too familiar feeling of confusion and indignation. We internally respond, “You deal with it.” Externally, we find ourselves politely saying, “Anything else I can do for you?” Toxic responsibility is slavery. It kills the sense of aliveness and purpose we all thrive on. No one can live being another person’s tool for long. Toxic responsibility is not real responsibility.

Real responsibility turns you on. It sets you free. It electrifies you. It works that way because real responsibility taking is a deeply meaningful process. It’s the truest expression of your values, hopes for the world, and what you want your life to stand for. It’s your soul’s deepest murmurings expressed in action. The deeper you dig into articulating your unique values something powerful is revealed. The demand to act. To transform your most meaningful dreams into a reality. This is your unique life’s purpose.

When you hit the bedrock of your personal responsibility, life becomes complicated. There’s a deep demand within that moves you. The world can’t be like this. I can’t be like this. Something has to change. Yet, change doesn’t happen on its own. Electrified by your values and armed with a vision, taking responsibility ceases being a burden. It becomes freeing. A type of following the breadcrumb effect sets in – the more you understand what you, personally, must do the more responsibility you take on. No burden becomes too heavy. How could it? You carry these values already. All you’re doing is discovering them and breathing life into them through your actions.

Yonasan Bender, SW graduated from Hebrew University’s School of Social Work. He has his psychotherapy practice at The Place: The Jerusalem Centre for Emotional Wellbeing. To share your thoughts, experiences, questions, or a different perspective, you can reach Yonasan Bender at 053-808-0435 or email him by clicking HERE. To learn more about him and his work, click HERE.

About The Place

The Place is where therapists, individuals and the community connect to create safety, strength and success. At The Place, men and women discover the freedom and safety to move past those issues which are preventing them from living life to its fullest. Our goal is to help each of our clients discover his or her own strengths as powerful tools in the healing process.

The Place is a multi-faceted clinic offering both individual and group therapy, support groups, interactive evenings and lectures, educational classes, and drop-in hours. Our comfortable, confidential, relaxed environment allows clients and their families to explore sensitive issues and create positive change. We believe that the key to mental health and emotional well-being is inside you.

At The Place, male and female therapists work independently or as a team to explore sensitive issues and facilitate positive change for individuals, couples and families from all sectors of the community. Some of our specialties include emotional eating, grief counseling, internet addiction, phobias, anxiety & OCD, childhood challenges, premarital counseling, couples therapy and intimacy issues, postpartum support, personality disorders, psychiatric care, and more. Connect with a caring professional in person at our comfortable Jerusalem offices, or by video, phone, and text. We’re here for you.