As an esotericist, I have come to the conclusion that I am responsible for myself. I have half an idea that for many new agers and the like, this statement is akin to saying I am a satanist, but I stand by my statement none the less. We all create our reality – this place we live in. We create it in the way that we see things and how we act. Thoughts are things and they manifest as reality. Only I can create my reality therefore I am responsible for my thoughts and what they create. As a self responsible co-creator of this reality we live in, I must strive to improve myself. I don’t mean make more money or buy a bigger house. No, I mean improve myself spiritually and as I do so, the changes in my thinking, perceptions and actions will help to co-create a better reality.
Today, too many people are here for the ride. They seem to believe that they are owed a life and not just that but a good life. They look to others to take responsibility for their lives too. In part, the system creates this codependency as we now fail to educate or even value education. We fail to value charity too. In the USA, the whole system was based on the freedom to build a life and then pay society back through charity but the do-gooders want a safety net, they want the wealthy to pay and forget charity. They want a socialist utopia that fails and will fail because it creates dependency. It erodes the idea of taking responsibility for self improvement. It enslaves people to misery by having them rely on others to create reality.
These days, there are so many people cheating the system. Collecting benefits by fraud, not paying taxes by dealing in cash, not issuing receipts to avoid VAT, cheating on expenses and so on. There is this pervasive sense of I must get ahead at any cost and it crosses social and political dividing lines too. This erosion of moral values is another facet of the idea that ‘I am not responsible’ – someone else is. It is all about understanding that each and everyone of us is personally responsible for own actions and behaviour. If we cheat the system then we are contributing to a reality in which its OK to cheat your neighbour and in which, others will emulate.
I often hear people say, well – they have no choice because the system is a certain way. It may very well be, but that doesn’t give you an exception from accepting personal responsibility for your life and actions! In essence, if you don’t accept personal responsibility then you are simply just another manipulated semi-conscious sheep.
If we are to improve our communal lot, it isn’t through leveling the playing field, punishing successful people, rewarding sloth and laziness with unnecessary benefits, idolizing the useless (sports people, actors, singers etc.) while penalizing the talented (teachers, nurses etc.). No, we must continually remind ourselves that we must all accept personal responsibility not just for ourselves, but for the reality we all live in. We must seek to improve ourselves so that we improve the whole. We must learn that true love of our fellow man isn’t giving them something for nothing and making them more dependent. No, its teaching them self-respect and how to accept responsibility.
