How to Live with Accountability Anyway
So the world fights against us (Read Accountability Parts 1 & 2). That’s ok. That’s just how I like it. Everyone is born with challenges, some harder than others. But I believe our lot in life, our destiny, is to rise to meet those challenges. My Mom is a courageous example of this. She’s a fighter. She was never a victim – not a single day in her entire life, even amidst horrible migraines, a boss out to get her, severe arthritis, and a botched hip replacement surgery that left her in pain for 13 years.
Now here’s the hard part. How do we do it? How do we rise to life’s challenges? Well…here are some things you and I can do to live with accountability even in a world that’s stripping it away. And I’m still no good at any of things, but I’m working on it…
Learn New Skills – One of the beautiful advents of technology is the worldwide web and a universe of knowledge at your fingertips. You can learn pretty much anything by watching youtube or listening to podcasts or reading online instructables or wikihows. In the last 2 years, I’ve planted my first garden, replaced a sink drain, and built a picture frame, a wooden crate, a floating shelf, a trivet, and a cigar box guitar. Before this, I never really had any handyman skills -- like at all. My mind just didn’t work like that. Complete confusion, because I had no foundational knowledge to build on. But the act of learning these new skills has enhanced the way I think and broadened my foundation.
Be your own advocate – Back in the day, I used to think being assertive was 50 shades of lame, and I still think that in some ways, but I’ve learned over time, that you have to take a stand on important things, because no one else in this life is going to stand up for you – except maybe your Mom, and you can’t let her keep fighting battles for you….right? We all need to ask questions, do research, plan and prepare as much as possible, and learn everything we can about our own situations. Be the expert on you. This may sound stupid, but take a moment to think of all the things you probably don’t know about your health, your insurance, your investments, your mortgage, your house, what’s in what you eat, what causes you pain and discomfort, how the electrical in your house is wired, what the paint on your walls is made of, etc. The world could care less about you. It’s on you to seize control of the things that matter. So you gotta learn to pick your battles wisely, decide what’s truly important and what can just drift by.
Simplify your Life – Why are we so proud of how busy we are? That’s ridiculous! We have to make decisions and prioritize and say no to things that don’t make sense for us and our families. Don’t farm your kids out to a thousand different activities. Teach them focus and commitment, the importance of family, the things that truly matter to you. We have to focus on a life well lived. Enjoy the small things. Determine for yourself what truly matters in life, and pursue with all your heart and soul things that support that. Everything else can just fade away. You only have so much time on this planet.
There are thousands of ways to keep yourself accountable in this world. You just have to find ones that work for you. And you’ve got to fight for every day, because every day is worth it.
