Accountability. Nothing is more frightening unless you enjoy telling yourself what you are doing right and wrong all of the time.
Accountability does wonderful things for our lives. The obvious reason, it holds us accountable for our words, actions, and thoughts. It also pushes us to become better people. The list of accountability benefits could go on forever, no one has time for that.
We have all been at that one spot in our lives where we have said something completely out-of-line and have accepted our internal answer, “I am just being honest.” No, you might have come across as an a**. Do not protect yourself when you know you need to call your BS.
When I have called myself out, it is super uncomfortable. However, it shows the person who you are admitting guilt to, that you are 100% genuine and a decent human being. Relationships/friendships only grow stronger when you are honest.
Actions are another beast of accountability that make us roll our eyes and hope that we do not have to slay them. Did you happily take that extra two dollars from the server who gave you more change back than necessary? “It is only two dollars, come on now.” It is two dollars that did not belong to you. Give it back and feel good that you do not have that on your conscious.
We have all been at that place where we could have spoken up for our actions that were not going to win us citizen of the year awards. If the time has passed to make it right, reflect on what you could have done better, and try not to do it again.
Hold your thoughts accountable. Thoughts can be tricky. They are our inner voices that can create a whole new life scenario in a matter of minutes. There are thoughts we think, and then immediately relieved that they are safe in our minds. When thoughts happen, it is important to approach them with logical thinking and determine if they are worthy. It is time to set aside emotions and rationalize why they are right or wrong.
It is okay to not be the best version of yourself at times. It is okay to feel like you are just living through the motions, unsure of what direction to go in. The dangerous part is learning to accept that for your life indefinitely.
Holding each part of our lives accountable is key to move forward and become a better version of ourselves.
Danae Decker 