Uncommon Accountability

5LIMITS TO HEALTHY ACCOUNTABILITY

Often at this point a question regarding the scope of accountability comes up. The question is: “Can you be accountable for everything that happens to you?”

And the snap answer is, of course, you can. If not you, then who? It's your life. They're your choices. You create your situations and experiences. It is absolutely your accountability. Every situation, every experience, every moment of the day, for every day of your life. Yes, even that time with your ex‐partner, and that situation with your co‐worker. Or that time you were involved in that auto accident. It doesn't matter that the police report cited the other driver was at fault; it's still your accountability. You chose to take that route, at that time of the day.

I hope you can see how ridiculous this notion is. The truth is you are not accountable for everything that happens in your life, and you shouldn't try to be.

There are many experiences in your life that you have had no role in creating – they just happened to you. The notion that you are accountable for everything that happens to you is not only untrue, it's also unhealthy. Things happen to all of us in life over which we have no control and did absolutely nothing to contribute to them happening.

The misconception that you can be accountable for everything that happens in your life leads to self‐blame and unproductive, debilitating ...