An Observation About Responsibility
Why personal responsibility is key to emotional intelligence, healthy relationships, and inner peace
As originally published in Change Your Mind Change Your Life on Medium.com.
We often talk about responsibility in grand terms — career decisions, financial obligations, or life-altering choices. But sometimes, it’s the smallest moments that reveal the most about our character. A recent experience on a short boat tour in Malta offered an unexpected yet powerful reminder: how we show up in minor situations reflects how we handle the major ones.
When Accountability Is Replaced by EntitlementLast week, I took a much-needed mini break to celebrate a friend’s birthday in Malta. On our first day, I joined a half-day boat tour to Comino, home of the famed Blue Lagoon.
The tour company was clear: departure was at 09:00 sharp, with or without all passengers. By 09:00, everyone was on board — except for a group of five people. As promised, the boat left without them.
About five minutes into the journey, the captain received a call: the missing group had arrived late and was asking for the boat to return. Being the nice guy he was, the captain agreed. So we turned around — costing the rest of us 15 minutes of our already short excursion.
When the five boarded, they immediately said, “The ticketing people took too long. It wasn’t our fault.”
No thank you. No apology. No recognition that 20+ others had just sacrificed part of their tour for them.
Why This Matters More Than You ThinkThis moment, while seemingly trivial, reminded me that if someone can’t take responsibility for a small inconvenience, how likely are they to own up to the bigger things in life — like health, wealth, relationships, and emotional well-being?
Taking responsibility doesn’t mean blaming yourself for everything. It means acknowledging your role and the ripple effect of your actions. It costs nothing to apologise or say thank you, but it can transform how others perceive and respond to you.
Responsibility = the ability to respond.
It’s not about shame or guilt — it’s about empowerment. When we respond instead of react, we stay in our power. We dissolve tension instead of fuelling it. We choose integrity over ego.
And most importantly, we give ourself the opportunity to feel good instead of guilty.
The Real Enemy: The Victim MentalityThe victim mindset is one of the hardest to break — and one of the most liberating to let go. Behind the mask of entitlement often lie feelings of shame, fear, or unworthiness. But when we take ownership of our behaviour, those emotions begin to transform.
A simple apology could have diffused the group’s frustration and replaced discomfort with understanding. It would have turned isolation into connection.
So the next time you find yourself making excuses or blaming external factors, pause. Ask yourself:
Do I want to be right, or do I want to feel good?
Do I want to defend my ego, or connect with others?
Responsibility isn’t a burden — it’s a superpower. It shifts us from victim to sovereign. From powerless to powerful.
Choose Empowerment Over EgoIn a world where “It’s not my fault” has become a default setting, dare to be different.
Take responsibility. Apologise. Thank others. Own your impact.
Not because you have to — but because it makes life better. For you and everyone around you.
Wherever you are in your journey, always remember that YOU ARE ENOUGH.
