Taking Responsibility

By Howard Stanten MPT, CPCC


The Native American Lakota people teach us about the Ten Sticks of Happiness.  The First Stick is “I am learning that I am the most unique and special manifestation of creation.” We all have unique gifts to bring to the world.

For most of us, our conscious connection to these gifts tends to ebb and flow through phases of knowing and not knowing, seeking and hiding, and even denying.

When disconnected, we think this “unique gifts” stuff is bullshit. “There just isn’t anything special about me!”   We judge ourselves. We are afraid to know ourselves and resist attempts to “see” our highest and best selves.  In this state of being, we retreat, holding back our gifts from others.

When connected, we tend towards loving ourselves for WHO WE REALLY ARE.  In this state of BEING, we are ideally prepared to get into the DOING of bringing our gifts to others.

I believe, when we are in this connected state, we have a RESPONSIBILITY to get into the nuts and bolts goal directed action of bringing whatever our unique gift is into the lives of others.  This is the space where meaningful lives flourish.

When we are in this connected state, we are most prepared to get over our fine selves (and all the blaming, complaining, victim stories, and self-limiting beliefs that are holding us back) and into answering this question: “Who am I not to bring ‘the most unique and special manifestation of creation to the world?”

Be with that for a while….and then, start walking down the path of making a difference in the world armed with the best of who you are.  We need you, more than ever.

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