Getting my driver’s license was not only a right of passage for me, but a freedom that I craved desperately.
On the day of my 16th birthday, I passed my tests and got my license! I was on Cloud 9!
Part of getting my license and the freedom that came with it, was a very strict but fair curfew time.
You guessed it… eventually, I was late for curfew.
My dad sat me down and calmly explained that because I had broken a promise I made, there would be consequences.
Then he asked me “So, what do you think your punishment should be?”
Huh? What? Was I going to discipline myself?
Yep, that is exactly what happened…
My dad explained that any consequences he gave would not have the same impact as when I held myself accountable.
You never forget something like that. You know what else you never forget? Holding yourself accountable.
In that moment, when my dad let me take full responsibility for my actions, he also taught me the value in fully owning my choices and decisions.
That was the first time I remember being 100% responsible for my actions. And it wasn’t the last.
Some days it is easy to take responsibility- when you are living on cloud 9. And other times, being accountable feels like ripping a band-aid off sunburned skin.
With accountability and forgiveness, you will make it out and get back to your cloud. I know you can.
My mission is to help women struggling in their chaotic lives to live a more purposeful life, including being accountable for their choices.