In the 1930s, there was a young boy who loved eating sugar—and in enormous amounts. Concerned for his health, his mother decided to seek help and embarked on a long and exhausting journey with her son, walking for miles and enduring hours of travel.

Finally, she arrived at Gandhi’s doorstep and asked him to tell her son that he should stop eating sugar because it was harmful to his health.

Gandhi replied, “I cannot tell him that. But you may bring him back in a few weeks, and then I will speak with him.” The mother was confused and frustrated but had no choice but to return home.

Two weeks later, she brought her son back. This time, Gandhi looked at the boy and simply said, “It would be good for you to stop eating sugar. It is not good for your health.” The boy nodded in agreement and promised he would no longer eat sugar.

Perplexed, the mother asked Gandhi, “Why didn’t you tell him this two weeks ago?”
Smiling, Gandhi replied, “Because two weeks ago, I was also eating a lot of sugar!”

Standing behind our words and actions is what we call RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR, isn’t it?

Responsibility is not reserved for certain positions—it applies to all of us.

And it doesn’t stand alone… it brings with it DEDICATION, PERSISTENCE, PROFESSIONALISM, and much more!

Let’s take a moment to reflect on RESPONSIBILITY—what we are responsible for, what we are not, and how we behave in relation to both.

What Are We Responsible For?

• Our thoughts.
• What and how we communicate.
• How we behave.
• The actions we take.
• The effort we put into everything we do.
• The mistakes we make.
• Our ideas and decisions.
• The consequences of our actions.

What Are We Not Responsible For?

• What others think or say.
• Other people’s beliefs.
• What others do.
• The consequences of their actions.
• The mistakes of others.
• Their ideas and decisions.
• Their fears.
• Their unspoken expectations!

In the book “Management: Learn from the Best“, author Frank Arnold speaks about responsibility in management and reminds us of the following:

“The starting point must be something simple, yet fundamentally important: a PERSONAL DECISION. Each of us must decide for ourselves whether we will approach our work with responsibility.”

I would add—this applies not only to our professional roles but to every aspect of our lives.

What Can Each of Us Do?

I invite you to take a moment and do the following:

• Pause and reflect on how much you’re operating within your own sphere of responsibility. Are you taking ownership of what’s truly yours, or are you getting involved in things that belong to others? Think about this!
• Use these insights to create your own RESPONSIBILITY MAP, and set your coordinates for the future.
• Day by day, observe WHAT you do and HOW you move through the world.
• Evaluate whether your choices, desires, and actions align with your chosen path—or if you’ve been following someone else’s GPS, merely walking down their road.
• If you’re not satisfied with where you are, remember: you can always change direction.

At the end of the day, your destination is entirely your choice!