Always do your best to be accountable……..accountability breeds responsibility. When you are on the outside of a situation looking in, it is so easy to fall into judging and criticizing those on the inside. We make all kinds of assumptions about what we think is going on, and we absolve ourselves of any responsibility when we judge. But, you cannot relegate yourself to the role of critic when you are part of the team. Everyone has some accountability in interdependent teams and committees and to point the finger at one person is irresponsible.
We all make mistakes and for the most part they are forgiven because people will forgive mistakes of the mind and of judgment. However people will not easily forgive mistakes of the heart, where there has been ill intention, poor communication or manipulation of a situation. Life is a process of giving and receiving and there comes a time in some situations where we must realize that what we have given is enough, that if we continue down the path of trying, we will reach the point of diminishing returns. When we express the power of trust we take responsibility for our roles in life and we know that if we point the finger of blame, there are always fingers pointing back at us.
Stephen Covey said “To rebuild broken-down relationships, we must first of all study our own hearts to discover our own responsibilities, our own faults. It is easy to stand at the sidelines and pick at others weaknesses. This process serves only to feed our own pride and to justify ourselves.”