Responsibility: the word alone makes me tense up. In fact, I couldn’t even remember the topic I’d decided to write about today. Ah, responsibility, I’m beginning to understand that you are my friend.
To the outside world I’m sure I appear very responsible and the truth is, I am… but lately I have come to understand responsibility on a much deeper level and I’ve discovered that the more responsible I become, the more I begin to see my irresponsible ways. Ouch.
At the moment I am looking after a house, a bird and two dogs for friends on their honeymoon. When my partner and I accepted this responsibility, we knew that we would take care of the place as if it were our own, and we knew that the way we lived in the house would be felt by the family that lives there.
Day two of our housesitting adventure signalled a sleepless induction into the wild world of dog guardianship when our new charges decided it would be fun to bark… all night…. non-stop…. no breaks. In the morning I was plotting dog murder but my gorgeous partner reminded me that the dogs were simply reflecting something to us. Rather than choosing irresponsibility, it was time to up the ante and bring more love to the house and its occupants.
For context, the dogs we were charged with are rescue dogs from dubious and unfriendly backgrounds, and although their current owners love them to pieces and have nursed them back to health, some scars still remain. We brought a deeper understanding to the situation the dogs found themselves in, knowing that having a temporary new family was a big adjustment for them.
We began to walk the dogs twice a day, morning and night, and we did this religiously. We made time to connect with them and truly support them through what was for them (and us) a challenging time. On day three the vomiting started (for one of the dogs). Soon after it was clear that someone was no longer in control of any bodily functions (thankfully, one of the dogs again). Something was very wrong and it was time to go to the vet.
I was faced with another moment to ponder responsibility; how do I balance my responsibility to show up to work with my responsibility to care for an animal that needs medical attention? It was a no-brainer. The dog needed professional help. Off to the vet we went.
I explained the situation to my boss and my predicament was received with understanding. I was able to get much of my work done from home while I nursed gastro dog back to health. It was up to me to ensure my work didn’t fall behind. I was being asked to take responsibility on many levels, and it felt great.
And those twice-daily walks? They supported far more than just the dogs. My partner and I discovered that this time together, walking the dogs, also allowed us to deepen and strengthen our relationship with our bodies, ourselves and each other. This experience enabled me to see that responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome.
My dog/bird/house sitting experience taught me a lot about my relationship with responsibility. In the end, walking and connecting wasn’t enough to guarantee a good night’s sleep and this showed me that everyone (including dogs) needs space to be where they are at. We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.
By Leonne Sharkey – Melbourne
Related Reading:
Taking True Responsibility for my Behaviour
True Change: Self-Responsibility Inspired by Universal Medicine
Responsibility Redefined – it’s in the Quality and not the Action!
Words on Serge Benhayon 
Responsibility is the joy in responding to the love of God.
Great topic Leonne, and may I add that the honeymoon is over and we all have to understand that responsibility in life is for everything and being Sacred is a responsibility for everything. Surely we can take our Livingness everywhere in purpose-full-ness with the understanding that we are responsible for our every action and maybe that we can be super Loving in every situation as a lived responsibility of our sacredness.
Leonne what a great sharing. The following sentence is for me a good reminder: “In the end, walking and connecting wasn’t enough to guarantee a good night’s sleep and this showed me that everyone (including dogs) needs space to be where they are at.” So, are we are able to give this space to everyone around us and also to ourself??
This is a great blog to remind us all that we cannot change people, animals etc. But we can hold ourselves steady and give them the space to just be where they are at without judgement or the need to try and fix some aspect that they are struggling with.
What if we all lived this level of love and care and when something unharmonious happens we allow ourselves to see what the reflection is and also have a deeper understanding of this. When we have this understanding and give space for this, for example when you did here ‘and although their current owners love them to pieces and have nursed them back to health, some scars still remain’ then there is great healing.
I see…every moment can be an opportunity to expand and grow rather than a hurdle to throw a tantrum about.
I have been in a number of repeated panics regarding work over the last few months. Yesterday I caught myself heading that way again and stopped it and sought support. Today I asked my coordinator and now I have more work. The change came in how I approached the situation.
We manage to complicate things and create such drama when we refuse to observe what the moment is calling for and simply respond.
So true Fumiyo.
‘We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility’. Very wise and profound, a little gem to keep in my back pocket.
Getting in charge is a difficult decision to make because it is a door that is difficult to close once you went through it.
Beautiful Leonne, what a joy and fun to read. As it shows us that no matter how bad the circumstances are, if we remain steady and take responsibility on what we need to act on, we will instantly be taken care of.
I have always thought I was a very responsible person but once I fully understood what responsibility means I realised how irresponsible I was. I had the idea that responsibility was about been good at what I do, pay the bills and about being a good citizen. Boy oh boy, the truth is responsibility is deeply loving and powerful. I had got my understanding of this word so upside down, it was only recently that I started to learn to embrace true responsibility and this has changed my life.
Who we are in essence is love, and by virtue of this fact our innate responsibility is to be who we are and reflect love in every aspect in our lives.
A beautiful reminder of true responsibility, I have found responsibility to not be about one thing, as each one thing is related to the next, and responsibility has to be for the everything.
It’s also in the how we do what we do as well.
It can be quite exposing when we step up our level of responsibility to see how irresponsible we have sometimes been – but the beauty is those ouch moments are all a part of the learning process of mastering the challenges of human life.
And this is why responsibility is so loving, it supports us to learn and grow and it is never about regrets, beating ourselves up or living with shame. Embracing responsibility empowers us to make true change in life that forever keeps deepening and calling us to evolve.
Reading this again is helping me understand responsibility more. I can see how when I just expect someone to change and that I don’t have any part in what is going on, this is not taking responsibility. What I’m saying energetically, is it’s not okay for you to be irresponsible but it’s okay for me to be. I also love the reminder to let go of expectations and allow others to be where they are at.
Thank you Leonne for your wonderful expression, I have had some pretty wild experiences with dogs myself, rescue dogs in particular. Animals really do carry scars, and they take time to heal and learn to trust again. And thanks for this line “This experience enabled me to see that responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome.” Taking care of everything we are asked to, and responding with love to the best of our ability.
Just imagine, if we were brought up to understand, indeed to feel, responsibility was not in the least bit onerous, but rather in accepting an understanding of what life is actually about.
I think it’s awesome how you totally committed to doing all you felt was needed and didn’t give up even though it didn’t bring a certain result (a restful night’s sleep!).
This is one of those golden lightbulb moments Fiona. I can see how I do drop my focus and give up when I’m not seeing any changes. Reflections of consistency are far more powerful and supportive than we realise.
When we bring in responsiblitiy into our lives we cannot but look at the reflections our daily life are giving us and although the word responsibility comes with everything we have loaded it with your blog feels very playful and light, just the way to live!
Responding with responsibility is very supportive, and I find anything else can be very chaotic especially when we take short cuts or ignore what the messages are communicating to us. After reading your blog Leonne, it makes more sense to take responsibility for life in every way.
Your blog is very funny, I know it is a serious blog but it reminds me that responsibility does not need to be serious or a drama, it simply needs to be a responsive and responsible conversation.
Thank you Lucy for the term here “responsible conversation”. It really brought home how what needs to be said is a responsibility to lovingly follow through on.
Thank you Lucy for clarifying that responsibility is not serious but can be very playful and fun. I used to be very serious and thought I was being responsible with some of the choices I made but looking back they were not responsible choices at all but a false version of it.
What is so true about this is that as you say, every aspect of our life is a reflection. this can seem quite daunting at the start, but actually it is a revelation of great delight and reawakening.
This is how we learn – through constant reflections from others and situations around us, that show us in full, our magnificence and our imperfections. No judgment needed, just a willingness to see, and acceptance and appreciation of the constant learning on offer.
“but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” We have the opportunity to choose to evolve with greater honesty when we respond with responsibility.
a great lesson that teaches us more responsibility and that infant what comes to us is what we are capable to handle. So simple it is !
I agree Danna, it is very simple when we choose to take responsibility. Our need for individuality is what makes things complicated and we are then more likely to avoid responsibility.
This is a really cool blog that brings understanding of how we can respond in every given situation, we have the opportunity to increase the love or we have the opportunity to go in on this.
I agree MW as when we focus on reflecting love in every facet in our lives, not allowing this vibration to drop, we are essentially then allowing for greater love to be magnified with every step we take.
“We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility” – I really love this, Leonne. I can see how my ‘responsibility’ can sometimes be outcome driven, and how that makes ‘responsibility’ a burden, a desire to own and control a situation, and not true responsibility.
Responding to life with responsibility is actually super supportive and deeply loving. Complete opposite to what I used to think responsibility to be.
Responsibility is a beautiful bedfellow. I could definitely do with spending more time considering how much more responsible it is possible to be if I were to get out of the way and really consider all the people in my life and all around me.
I love the humorous, but very real comment about how the twice daily walks supporting you as much as (more than) the dogs. Having this rhythm is a massive boon, and while you think you might be doing it for the dog’s sake, perhaps the service is the other way round…..
I have been late to the party with my dog and now understand why she looks at me the way she does – she has been trying to say she is in service and this walking thing is not about her but all about me for a few years now! I thought she would slow me down so never considered taking her with me on my walks, but in fact she is not needy at all – even knocks me over when I am distracted, which I am not sure is entirely necessary but then I had a bit to learn about the walks so I will withhold a final assessment of the knocking over for now!
It is beautiful to bring more understanding to a situation we are in, we always have the responsibility, there is that word again, to look beyond what is going on because we know there is so much more.
That’s it Annelies, it is the knowing that we are so much more that allows us to go there and be open to taking responsibility and to evolve. Deep down, I reckon we all know this.
I am a sucker for responsibility it just feels like I get to sweep the cobwebs within myself when I say yes to responsibility, and honestly I prefer to have a clean rather than dusty house.
And that responsibility is for me at the moment learning to speak up! Why have I held back on my expression in speaking up so much? And I mean so much! I have allowed so much to get away it is really making me feel uncomfortable, sad and aware of a purpose I had not taken any responsibility for in my life.
It is very inspiring to read how you brought responsibility to a situation that you felt to be quite challenging, thank you for sharing….
I love this part of responsibility you mention here in this blog as viewing everything that happens as a reflection or a constellation for us to learn, grow and evolve from and therefore sensing the bigger picture rather than just reacting to it and only thinking about ourselves.
As well as any medical intervention we may have imagine the healing when taking a course of being responsible in and for ones life. This isn’t a fantasy or theory, as this blog shares responsibility is very beneficial to our health.
“…. dogs were simply reflecting something to us.” Everything is a reflection – for us to choose and learn from – or dismiss and ignore, only for it to crop up again at a later date for us to have another look at.
Situations crop up in our lives where we are asked to step up to receiving a greater responsibility. What I am learning is that when I commit wholeheartedly in every moment to that which is being asked of me nothing gets left behind; it is learning to respond with love knowing that the space will be there as I handle everything that comes my way.
This was a cool sharing as I can relate to it, when I look at my life I think I am being responsible however I can also see that there are responsibilities that I am avoiding and by doing so it is an avoidance of bringing out more of me.
Isn’t it fascinating how the word ‘responsibility’ has come to connote a burden, a chore or a drain on our personal resources. Great then that you expose in this blog that Responsibility can in fact be a true support, not only for ourselves but for all those within our reach.
It is an enormous leap of awareness and yet within responsibility was the choice of reconnection and freedom
This is awesome. I love the willingness to look beyond what’s immediately going on.
That is a greater level of responsibility, Leonne, not just by doing the tasks you had committed to do, but by going deeper in the understanding of what unfolded in the process.
Receiving the lessons that are on offer for us is every situation of life is a way of honouring what comes to us and maximizing them in full. Our responsibility increases then, in the same mesure of our openness to go deeper.
Considering responsibility at a deeper level like this Leonne allows us to see that every moment matters, and there are no prized moments of good elated ones that satisfy once the steady flow of responsibility and purpose is connected to. .
Responsibility is indeed supportive to the whole. It is, hence, a way for us to move in a way that allows us to connect to the whole and making it part of our life (fact that facilitates our being responsive to it) and not away from it.
Beautiful as we know so well how to respond with irresponsibility – it shows that we actually know very well how to take true responsibility.
‘if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.’ This is such a gem Leonne, so rather than take it personally we can see each situation as an opportunity to go deeper and see and feel our next step, so responsibility is in fact our loving parent, bringing us back to more of the love we are.
Thank you Leonne, for your subtle but very honest reflection of how a situation actually brought a wider awareness and understanding of what you needed to do and what else you could feel around you and in others.
Leonne could have been in the whole situation in reaction, emotions, self pity, etc, instead she decided to flow with it all and come up with ways to support the dogs and herself. I really enjoyed how she embraced it all.
To respond with responsibility means to respond with love and to do this depends upon our relationship with self. Seeing everything in my life as a reflection even if I don’t always want to see it at first supports me to have understanding and helps me to heal, observing and feeling what is there to be looked at and let go of within me as I have found out that by trying to fix people and situations never works but creates disharmony within relationships and in life.
It all starts and comes back to the relationship with self first and trying to fix or blame others does not work and is true irresponsibility.
Our daily life is indeed a great big reflection of opportunities that we can either respond or react to.
What would the world be like if instead of going into reaction, blame, anger judgement, hurt, frustration etc we stopped to see that everything in life is a lesson we can learn from and that life is reflecting back to us something we need to read, heed and understand to support us in our true evolution. It would be a pretty amazing place! What you have shared here is very inspiring ‘the dogs were simply reflecting something to us.’ and personally I know I do not read messages in life as much as I could do … in other words what is being reflected back to me in all areas for me to learn.
Taking responsibility in the myriad of ways that this is possible is an enrichment and immense support to how we live our everyday life and one of the determinants of how much we can actually enjoy living our life. And it never stops – responsibility begets more responsibility.
Yes indeed! Just imagine if responsibility was like a superbly fitted tailored suit in which you felt gorgeous and amazing…. Now that’s a new take on a much maligned word…☺
Seeing every aspect of life we can respond with responsibility, to paraphrase … this adds a whole other realm to observing and accepting life, ourselves and others, and it’s great to read today as I’m surrounded by chaos and an old pattern of judging and saying this is not how it’s supposed to be is showing, so I’m going deeper with me and allowing myself to see, to observe and to respond not react, a growing and expanding edge for me. Responsibility is such a gift.
Each day I choose to move in connection to me is another day I deepen my relationship with responsibility, understanding it is part of who I naturally and truly am.
The call to responsibility comes in many ways, including illness and disease. We can never discount the role illness and disease can play in our evolution.
This is the reason many of us only go so far when we embark on a journey of energetic responsibility. ‘The more responsible I become, the more I begin to see my irresponsible ways.’
It is very confronting to come up against our irresponsible behaviors, but if we can do so and feel the harm of them, our commitment to living energetically responsible is ignited and our humbleness again activated and implemented into our life, as the truth really does set us free’.
Yes Leigh, being absolutely honest with ourselves requires humbleness and humility, which feels exquisite and expansive in the body.
You touch on a big theme here – when we take more responsibility for feeling our part in any situation then we get shown areas of our life or perhaps unloving patterns or behaviours that we know we do, but don’t always want to look at. At this point it is easy to react to the ugliness or messiness of this and avoid looking at what is being shown to us, or we can welcome the exposure, knowing that what is being reflected is a magnificent signpost to our evolution and is the ultimate guide book or map to find our way back home to who we truly are.
Everything in life is reflecting something back to us about how we’ve been with ourselves, and by extension, the world. It’s then up to us to read it and act on it, or we can choose to ignore it, but the messages keep coming our way until we are ready to choose to be aware of, and act on them.
There are opportunities to take responsibility in every moment, sometimes it is completely natural and sometimes it needs to come from a conscious decision. I have found that when a situation feels incomplete it is often because I have not taken responsibility for some part of it. I have left something undone and a part of me is still attached to it. That might be an argument or the memory of an event that did not go well, there is a guilt or a niggling feeling. Whenever I have worked it through with a practitioner it inevitably comes back to taking more responsibility – even if that responsibility is that I have got too attached to the outcome and it is time to let the other person go from my expectations!!!
Wow, this really is responsibility on another the level. I love how there was no time wasted on writing the whole thing off, hands in the air giving up. It takes a lot of awareness to be considering the all in a situation like this where sleep deprivation can often lead you to very murderous thoughts!!
When something in life happens that is challenging, it can seem like an easy option to react. In this case, you could have easily become annoyed with the dogs, blamed the owners for lack of training and so on. But choosing understanding and responsibility leads to a far different outcome and one that offers so much more than the closed, hard perspective of seeing life as simply events that happen.
Such a common misunderstanding that responsibility is a burden, and for us all to ignore the growth that we all get from taking responsibility for our actions, and when we step into more responsibility.
yeah I often react to people, life or situations – i find it hard to observe life and not want things to be different – e.g I know how amazing and loving everyone is, like how incredible they are but aren’t choosing it – and I find it very hard at times to respect and allow, hence observe other peoples’ choices. I know this would allow much more love and closeness between us, without any words being said, and this can be for family, partners, works colleagues, complete strangers in the street. And I’d be far less reactive and tired, much more joyful. It’s because i care so much about people – but imposing is not care neither is meeting or expecting this to be a certain way – this I have to learn. Ultimately it’s avoiding self love and a lack of responsibility.
‘This experience enabled me to see that responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome’ When you truly connect to it Responsibility is inspirational.
‘this showed me that everyone (including dogs) needs space to be where they are at’. Very true and very wise. And when we give people this space to be where they are at, we do not impose, rather, we observe rather than absorb.
To make the choice to see responsibility as a friend, an ally, and not as the enemy has been a life changer for me; a life that has changed from being weighed down with beliefs that were not mine to live to a life that is joyous and way more lighter now that the belief that responsibility is a burden has been totally dismantled.
Life offers us so much – part of responsibility it to accept what is on offer.
We love to think of responsibility as a task or thing we do. But from reading between the lines of what you say Leonne it seems to be more a state that we can live in, where we say yes to life in full, and being us amidst it all. Just in this beingness all the movements and caring actions are naturally taken care of. It’s not a burden then but an place of stillness and appreciation we can enjoy. Thanks for helping me come to this with what you shared.
Yes, gorgeous, it is not a burden but a place of stillness and appreciation we can enjoy – it is a freedom and an expansion of the space between the cells in our body 🙂
Responding to life as you show here brings a totally different quality to our day than being in reaction to what comes towards us.
This is a beautiful sharing of the responsibility we all hold to read what is happening and to not react but truly observe and from there all that is needed will be known to us allowing a growing and evolution for all.
Approaching life with a willingness and commitment to responsibility brings lightness to the very initial moments of whatever is before. Then moving through the next moments can flow quite simply and possibly even innate joy. Starting with a heaviness and trying to work it though can sometimes at best result in relief, but perhaps wont open up a feeling of lightness and potential joy.
When we are living responsibly, we will respond to life – equipped with the knowing and understanding to offer, support and serve in absolutely every moment.
Responsibility is a sign of energetic maturing, and our guiding light back to Soul.
Thanks Leonne – I love the sense of humour and lightness that you brought to this, showing us that no matter whether things go the way we want them to we can still respond with responsibility.
A beautiful aspect of responsibility showing how supportive and loving it really is for us all and the joy of this and not the burden it is often thought of being.
Every circumstance is an opportunity to learn from, to observe and respond rather than react.
Great patience, not so sure how I would have handled dogs barking all night probably would have smacked them.
A beautiful reflection on responsibility Leonne. For me what you also highlighted was accepting and understanding, without judgement, another person’s choices.
A deeper acceptance of life and therefore deeper responsibility will naturally flow forth, the deeper we surrender to our power, magnificence and grace.
Like you Leonne I saw responsibility as a burden, until I tried it and kept stepping into it more. I realise how healthy it actually is for us to exercise responsibility. When I’m not being responsible my overall well-being goes down so quickly.
Responsibility is an ever expanding awareness of what is needed before a moment even occurs. With energetic responsibility and reading life from this level we are not bound by time because we are putting our awareness into the true multidimensional state it belongs to.
Accepting others as they are and the choices they make without judgement is probably one of the most loving acts we can make.
Religious is a word that is used about things we dedicate ourselves to, which for me, gives away the fact that it is about connection. Responsibility is worth dedicating ourselves to and, as I am learning, energetic responsibility opens up a whole new world – or is it our old world we have turned a blind eye to?!
Observe life to deeply understand rather than react and you will know the joy of responsibility.
Wow Leonne, great blog 🙂 I love what you’ve shared. What I got from reading this was that as events and life happen, we can either see it as just events, manage it all and get through it. Or we can look at what is going on and whilst taking care of what needs to be done, we can reflect and ponder on the deeper meaning of it all. This in itself is part of responsibility – to look at what every aspect of life is offering.
Meeting life from our bodies first offers us the choice to respond to life circumstances from an openness and understanding that everything happens for a reason for us to learn from and evolve and that is our responsibility to consistently live from; instead of resisting it which only deteriorates the quality of the bodies we live in.
I do now not know where the dislike for responsibility comes from, as what is shared here in this blog and also from my own experience taking responsibility is not a burden at all but just the opposite. It rejuvenates and make me enjoy life again.
Thank you Leonne, reading your blog again today it really came to me how we let beliefs about words like responsibility prevent us from receiving the true gifts inherent in such things. For example we feel responsibility is a drag so we avoid it, yet when we commit to it and experience it without preconceptions there are many benefits that can truly support our lives.
Being responsible in life by not going into reactions, “but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” Thank you Leonne this is such an important presentation of how to respond in any given moment.
Sure Greg, when we accept that responsibility is natural to our being, being irresponsible is actually in negation of the grandness that we are and do we heal all these moments of irresponsibility in our lives.
It may take many life-times but irresponsibility will heal Nico, especially when true energetic responsibility, which is ’natural to our being’ is lived with our movements to the best of our ability.
What a clear understanding you bring so beautifully to the responsibility we all hold and the way we respond and how things can play out. It is joyful to read and see the importance we all play in everything and the all we are part of and how we can make a difference by our choices to simply be and respond to what is happening lovingly without emotion and drama.
I am learning to respond with the greatest responsibility is to not react.
This is great what you share “if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility”. if we just stop to feel the reflections given to us in every moment we have a choice to respond with responsibility.
Yes it is never about what happens to us and all about how we respond to what is happening to us that counts.
It never fails to amaze me that when we look at something from a different angle and then realise that there was so much more being offered than we originally thought.
It is great to read how you just brought more reading, understanding and love to the situation. No matter the outcome that is bringing more responsibility to situations in life.
Everything that happens is an offering for us to step up to a new level of responsibility. This is awesome and is, in truth, worth celebrating although how it presents itself does not always make us feel like celebrating because we see it as an affliction. I love how you have clearly presented how we can turn perceived nuisances and hardship into an evolving process.
“and we knew that the way we lived in the house would be felt by the family that lives there.” Wow, that is true responsibility right there. The way we live effects everyone, and it is an illusion to think otherwise. There is no hiding behind closed doors, everything is energy and can be felt. And we leave energetic imprints everywhere. The question to be asking ourselves – is what kind of energetic imprint do we want to leave?
Hi Sarah, this is something I’m constantly asking myself all the time now I am much more aware of movement, how am I, what are my thoughts and what am I leaving behind in my energetic wake. Because everyone is feeling this no matter that they or I cannot see it.
I like that “no guarantee” we can often think we are responsible and so at the outcome will be this, but is not always the case. The outcome will be what it will be, but do we choose to live with responsibility regardless of the short term outcome…I would say yes, because we are all here for a longer, more distant out play of our choices.
I feel that the “no guarantee” offers an opportunity to surrender deeply to ourselves.
I used to think that to see everything as a reflection meant that there was always a higher level of vibration I was being offered to evolve to and while this is true I am becoming much more aware that reflection can be something I have mastered and am bringing that higher level of vibration to the situation to reflect a greater purpose but whatever the situation I find myself in there is always an opportunity for evolution and that means an opportunity to take responsibility.
Responsibility comes in all shapes and sizes, and taking responsibility for ourselves first, naturally brings responsibility for others, as every action or movement we make effects everyone around us.
True responsibility is not just taking responsibility for the task or job or project etc. at hand, but as well, being responsible for the quality of energy we do what we do in.
Responsibility is constantly deepening in my life, and as it deepens the focus of it changes. It becomes a pleasure to live with as it resonates deeply from within as being a way of truth that supports ourselves and everyone else. Not so much with what we do any more but with the quality we bring into everything we do.
Phew! What an experience…. Amazing how we can learn such a deep lesson from looking after dogs! And yes … responsibility is truly a profound awareness.
‘Responding with responsibility’. It’s a great title. It is the opposite of ‘reacting out of emotion’. Like chalk nd cheese!
The more I explore the topic of responsibility the more my irresponsibility gets exposed. My overly responsible alter ego is actually very irresponsible about so many aspects of my life, putting on a ‘good’ show but neglecting to do the things that would support me to be truly responsible in the way I look after myself. Thank you for the inspiration to explore this valuable topic.
We have several innate abilities. Having them, does not necessarily mean that we choose them in our daily life. Yet, every time we choose to exercise it, we can truly feel how supportive they are.
Never a truer word was said every moment in life offers a reflection. Just sometimes I do not want to be honest about what is being reflected as it exposes ways that I have been living that was not true.
‘This experience enabled me to see that responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome.’ – It is liberating to let go of the ingrained idea that responsibility is a burden – responsibility is the true juice of life and what supports us to evolve.
Living with responsibility can be a joyful and freeing way to live, it is when we ignore the natural impulses to respond we make life complicated and burdensome.
What I learned today from reading this blog is that responsibility has many aspects in life and one of these is to respond to situations in a responsible way such that everything is taken into account and taken care of and to leave no one behind.
It is a great lesson to realize that everyone and everything needs to be offered the space to be where they are at and all we can offer is love and understanding to support them to be the more they are capable of.
This article finishes well and is saying something in the last line that brings responsibility to the fore, “We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” Bringing the reflection home is the key and not trying to change the outside world in the hope it will make you feel better. Setting your sights on yourself allows the change to come from within that then supports you in how you view the world. No one ‘needs’ to change, you make the change and through this offer more support and understanding to things around you and at times by osmosis things around you are pulled to the same change. The world can be seen however we choose, it’s our responsibility to look after our view.
So interesting how there are layers to things including responsibility and life is constantly reflecting to us the next layer to work on.
So true that the more responsible we become, the more we see the irresponsibility we’ve been living with. It’s the same across all areas of our lives: the more we deepen in any area, the more we see what we’ve chosen not to live – and the huge potential that there is to expand. We can either choose to focus on what we haven’t been living, or be inspired by all that there is to connect to and live.
“This experience enabled me to see that responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome.” Responsibility has always felt to me to be so heavy, a burden, loaded with blame and guilt if I wasn’t being responsible, I loved what you have shared Leonne about responsibility, how every situation is a reflection and a call for a deeper responsibility.
Gorgeous to read how you brought a deeper understanding to the situation and then walked them twice a day…. when we bring this understanding to any situation we may find ourselves in, we always know exactly what is needed. Totally inspiring.
“Responding with Responsibility” Already the headline is inspiring to really be focussed on responsibility and what this means for me in every moment.
I am so inspired, Leonne, by your openness to learning along the way, and finding ways to bring greater loving responsibility to everyday challenges such as pet-sitting.
This feels so strong, empowering and absolutely makes sense….”…if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” We can so often feel victim to circumstance this perspective changes life entirely.
Sometimes I forget people need to be where they are at – this is loving to do this – if not it is based purely on your needs.
I think I’ve avoided responsibility because I’ve had a life-long tendency towards over-responsibility – picked up by a teacher as early as 3rd grade! But I’ve come to see there is a huge difference between feeling overly responsible – as in for EVERYTHING – and being responsible in the true sense. The former is onerous and heavy, the latter light, joyful and purposeful.
Yes indeed, every reflection as an opportunity. They are everywhere when we choose to open our eyes and see!
I am getting more and more aware, and not just intellectually but as a felt sense in my body, that responsibility never leaves us. It is a constant presence, opportunity and choice. The only aspect changing is my relationship with responsibility depending on my attitude.
Yes, Alex, it feels like the more responsible we are, the more aware we become of how irresponsible we have been.
I can relate to this Alex. The impulses have and will always be there, it is our relationship and therefore our response to these impulses that we are responsible for.
“if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” What a beautiful response to responsibility and its absolute importance in our lives that really does make all the difference. as you share here.
I love the deepening I can feel of our relationship with responsibility in reading this blog.
Like you have shared, the more I understand what responsibility is the more I see where I am not taking responsibility and these are many ways in which I choose irresponsibility, like going into stress and putting my body under pressure or trying to go to sleep but not having prepared my body to wind down and relax before sleeping etc.
Open yourself to love, and you realise that the only thing you are responsible for is to live according to its impulse.
Its interesting how the word ‘responsibility’ when you sound out it in to words, says ‘response’ and ‘ability’ and this can very well describe our relationship with life… in other words… the ‘ability to respond’ … which then highlights or raises the question whether we follow through with impulses or the practicalities of life…
‘ability to respond’ – I love this Johanne, it takes away any sense of chore or burdens related to the word responsibility and replaces it with a feeling of dignity and something to truly appreciate.
Absolutely – we can respond to all that life presents and offers us with responsibility or we can resist, blame life and refuse to accept the learning on offer.
Responsibility actually goes far deeper than we first think, when we take responsibility for something it is the first step to looking at what else we need to be responsible for, and from my own experience through Universal Medicine I realised that I was not just responsible for myself, but how my actions affect everyone else.
When we don’t make life about ourselves, as I am learning, responsibility is very easy.
How lovely Leonne, to be viewing responsibility as supportive rather than burdensome. It is interesting how we can make pictures of certain words that can make us feel different through our interpretation. An example could be a rainy day which can make us feel dreary but getting out in the rain with an umbrella can be great fun. Making responsibility a part of our day that goes with the choices we make can be included into our daily rhythm.
When we’re presented with a new responsibility our immediate response is often, ‘how could I POSSIBLY do that with everything else going on?’, but you’ve beautifully shared how we can adapt to take on new roles or responsibilities to support others and how the purpose in this can then support us in other areas to take more initiative, be proactive etc.
I really enjoy coming back to your block Leonne as it reminds me that responsibility can feel light, free and expansive.
“In the end, walking and connecting wasn’t enough to guarantee a good night’s sleep and this showed me that everyone (including dogs) needs space to be where they are at” – the grace of space allows the grace of a person to be [that grace].
‘Responding with Responsibility’ a great title, and the blog offers wisdom and humour to the reader: when we’re faced with the unexpected, read the situation and connect to the level of responsibility offered first. If we don’t do this, we’re already reacting.
Once you start to take responsibility for your movements and conscious presence in what you are doing, you find so many areas in your life where there is a need for much more detail in your responsibility and this is where the joy of responsibility builds and feels amazing.
Responsibility is fundamental and foundational to our natural way of being with each other. The more we make responsibility about energy and a quality of being then the tasks and activity of that is taken care of.
“…if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” – this is a very simple and fundamental formula of mastering life instead of feeling oneself as the victim of circumstances.
Responding with responsibility sometimes means taking action in unexpected ways even if it means putting ourselves out, as you discovered. The word ‘respond’ suggests that there is a live choice to be made in the moment that is responsive to the situation. This will be different in every moment and in every situation. We have a responsibility to be this responsible!
You start with: “Responsibility: the word alone makes me tense up.” and my first thought was that funnily enough the word makes me relax and expand!
I know that you are not the only one who tenses up at the mention of the word responsibility; in fact I don’t know many who don’t. This word definitely has very onerous connotations for many of us, a word to be run away from not embraced as you did. What a great way to discover what responsibility truly means to you and that when embraced there is not one thought of wanting to run,.
‘this showed me that everyone (including dogs) needs space to be where they are at’. This actually feels very loving to give space to others and allow them to be just where they are at without any judgement whatsoever.
Seeing every aspect as a reflection that we respond to with responsibility feels huge. Thank you for this sharing – simply put – there is so much that can change if we look at things differently – if we are willing to read life and respond. If we consider that how we are supports the next person. there can be no self.
If responsibility were simply a doing or a duty – we would do it very well. But responsibility is so much more than this – it is about our relationship with living the all that we are…. and all we are a part of… and hence the struggle at times that has nothing to do with the doing, but everything to do with deepening.
Great point Kylie – I have no problem with doing more, but it’s the going deeper and bringing more of me into what I do that I resist. Why? So that I can hold onto the way I like to do things, the control, and the individuality in this, instead of surrendering to the bigger picture and trusting. Building a connection with my body, not judging myself for my mistakes, and opening up to others, supports this process of letting go.
Everyone needs space to be where they’re at: when we don’t give this space to ourselves and others, it feels imposing and heavy and there’s no moving forwards.
The sheer openness and willingness to be responsible is a refreshing choice. Imagine if the world lived in this way!
Responsibility redefined! If we give the all of us in everything we do, we make such a difference. Often we’re too busy with ourselves that we’re not aware of how our presence (energy) affects other(s). Learning to observe and read what is truly going on is the most loving thing we can do to both ourselves as well as other(s). Because if we don’t, we don’t know what is really going on and our response (coming from respons-ibility) often doesn’t make sense. Truly important! What if we would learn this at school from a very young age, learning to read energy. Super fun and an amazing gift.
‘ if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.’ Well said Leonne, everything is a reflection, and offers education and a way to grow..
No coincidence that both terms share the root ‘respon…’, one term describing the ability to be sensitive to and aware of an impulse or impression and the other the willingness and ability to act upon what is sensed and therefore required and adequate.
Responsibility for me is the difference between reacting and responding to any situation in life.
Yes indeed, it gives us the ability to respond or react so they should be called respond-ability and react-ability. Really it is a choice so perhaps respond-choice or react-choice.
Staying in touch with our true purpose naturally brings responsibility.
A wonderfully insightful blog allowing us to appreciate all that responsibility offers when we are open to read what is truly happening, which brings a deeper understanding of truth. So often when things ‘go wrong’ I am being offered an opportunity to take a step back from a situation and feel that there is more going on that meets the eye – I need to trust my sixth sense and allow the situation to unfold.
When we are being irresponsible we do not want to see the reflections for what they are – a constant gift from God to remind us that we are grander than we are currently prepared to be or see, and that we are capable of being responsible for our every movement (without perfection of course).
Responsibility at times can appear to be a burden or challenge as we have to take care of someone or something that we don´t consider as easy or pleasurable or it is another extra thing to do on top of everything else, but this is a very limited perspective as it doesn´t consider the bigger picture of what is taking place. When we choose to see the part we play in the bigger picture, what we can contribute to the state of being of one or many to grow in their beingness, love, health, commitment to life, trust etc it is often a joy.
In any given moment we have the choice to respond accordingly to the call on offer, or to ignore it entirely. Thus, responsibility is a choice as to whether we choose to evolve or not.
I love how you and your partner are in sync and harmony, and hence aboslutely open to the reflections you offer each other.
We are surrounded by a culture that instantly turns to blaming when something is not following a picture we’re holding on to, of how things ‘should’ be going. Seldom do we look at what it means for us, or what learning is being presented for us to look at when our bubble bursts. In embracing responsibility, we are offered the opportunity to bring awareness and honesty to the lives we are living, a life that we are in fact constantly in relationship with, and the choices we are making in every moment. This is not only empowering but deeply enriching, as you have shared and highlighted Leonne, as we then are freer to bring more of our true selves to life and as such live a life that is far more in touch with what is real. For when we blame we essentially are saying ‘no’ learning, growing and deepening our relationship with ourselves, each other and as such our relationship with evolution.
Letting go of expectations is a very responsible thing to choose. This was a huge revelation for me as I always felt like it was irresponsible to let other people ‘get away with things’. Now I see that I have a responsibility to express but this is different to believing that I am responsible for changing the way someone or some dog chooses to behave.
Leonne, this has made me think about many a situation that I find myself in where I feel burdened and want to pull back and protect myself from what seems arduous and difficult. After reading this blog I am now wondering about the new ways that I can look at things, where I can ask ‘what’s needed of me here, what’s my responsibility?’ That’s pretty big as I too have always cringed at the word responsibility, but I’ve got the feeling it’s one of the best things in the world.
I have been and am completely irresponsible with many things, now by looking at me and how I live my life, work etc you would not think this, I am learning responsibility is much more than superficial things. For example being responsible by not talking or writing about anything I don’t live.
I think it’s great how you did what you felt was really needed with the dogs without conditions on how they would behave – knowing that you were bringing the love, care and discipline that was needed and that you couldn’t force the dogs to suddenly change but not using this as an excuse to give up or not commit to what was needed.
Whenever I react it’s almost always that I’ve not looked at my part in this, what am I here to learn, what am I being called for and most importantly what have I not expressed and shared that I felt. Often I read what is going on very clearly but many times I hold back sharing what i felt and in that not taking responsibility I react instead of respond.
It’s funny how responsibility has been twisted around in society to pulling others up or taking on a bigger load. As I went to write this comment, standing in the train, it suddenly lurched to the side. I was thrown on top of the man next to me, because I wasn’t holding on as I should have been. Embarrassment aside, I could see this was a beautiful metaphor for what happens when we don’t take the basic steps to look after ourselves. If we don’t watch out we’ll end up injuring ourselves and others or as your story shows, ‘sick as a dog’. Thanks Leonne for this reminder to care for us first.
True responsibility starts with true understanding. Which means reading the situation and responding in line with the reading. Rather than reacting. Beautiful example!
Love is not a restricted commodity is belongs to us all equally, including dogs, and the way love has been so misused so when the simple truth is found out about love it can be to much for some to handle. The way love has been presented to me over the last 13 years has been life changing, and a joy to connect to, as I feel the depth of stillness, joy, harmony, truth, responsibility and sacredness that I am connecting to so “we see every aspect of life as a reflection” of that love.
‘We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.’ – Wise words and something that will help us bring true understanding to the situation.
This last line blew me away, Leonne – “We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” There is so much integrity and humbleness in this statement, in the openness to learning from life and also giving others the space to learn in their own time too.
Amazing Leonne, and I guess acceptance is the key with responsibility. Often we tense up when it comes to responsibility because when something goes wrong we can begin to beat ourselves up about what we’ve done in order to make it happen. However, that’s irresponsible, if we change our lenses we can learn a lot about life!
Once we begin paying attention to what responsibility is and how you work with this in your day/life, it unravels more and more and you begin to see that it can can be taken to the Nth degree
Responsibility is in the detail and to not ignore or disregard ANYTHING I see. From picking up something that I could easily walk past off the floor, to noticing what is needed and carrying that through – and being and bringing Love in every moment. Nothing is less.
I love how you sum everything up in the last sentence. Can we accept where others are at and give them space, responding to what is needed or do we spend time reacting and wishing things were different.
“Responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome”. The idea that it is a burden to be endured is deeply engrained in our human psyche. There is an element of getting things done because we should, not because we want to. This bigger picture responsibility has understanding and a broader purpose. It is something we do for the all, so takes away the feeling of drag.
This is such a lovely little story that represents the huge importance of responsibility. It is for everyone’s sake, not just our own, and life feels so much better and so much more simple when we step up to it. Even one tiny little thing that has been overlooked can stand out as having not been attended to, and this can have a huge ripple effect. Everything matters, and our attention is needed in every area of life.
“responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome.”
Let’s ponder this in a few ways how it speaks absolute truth.
Responsibility to eat how my body truly needs to be fed = support.
Responsibility to speak what I truly feel = support.
Responsibility to love and care for myself = support.
Why is it that we shirk this so much, could it be we get stuck in the belief that support is something someone does for another?
Rather than being the one thing we can do for ourselves, that leaves us with a settled, still, present demeanor. A person who then does support another, simply by being ourselves.
Why have we stumbled with responsibility for ourselves? It just shows how our false belief that it is something that others do for another, for if we don’t do it for our self, we can ponder forever and never get anywhere.
Our knee jerk response to almost everything is to respond with a reaction of some kind, even niceness is a reaction as it does not come from truth. Everything starts to change when we respond with responsibility because true responsibility has its roots in honesty and honesty is the path to truth.
This reminds me that in many situations in life we can be presented with a choice to either respond or react and that in this choice we also have the choice to be responsibility or not.
What a great opportunity to look at something in a different way, and to learn and grow from it. It is becoming clearer that if we understand something from more than just our own angle and then take responsibility for the part we play in a situation, energies at play start to clear.
It is amazing what we are being reflected when we are willing to approach life with humbleness and openness as opposed to thinking we need to be in control at all costs.
I find walking extremely supportive for my body in letting go of the day, connecting to my body, or starting my day.
Who knows maybe walking could regenerate our body and be as good for us as a catnap when our body needs regeneration?
The grace of space to be where we are at and at the same time being held in love and to develop the not yet activated potential to be more of ourselves by one´s own choice is very healing as one of the main reasons that we have issues is the imposition of outer ideals, beliefs, expectations and judgments that don´t give us any space to even feel who we are.
I have also come to realise with responsibility comes the realisation of how irresponsible I am and have been and that every day we are presented with things to teach us the errror of our ways if our eyes aren’t shut to it.
This is a great example how supportive we can be of each other and are supported by each other when we allow ourselves to be open to what comes towards us instead of being in defence and fending off what we are presented with.
So true Esther Andras. Staying open to all possibilities, communicating and asking for support enables us to navigate life in a completely different way, often resulting in us finding unexpected answers that support all involved, the true gift of honesty and openness.
Walking is a great therapy on many levels which is what you touch on Leone when you say “And those twice-daily walks? They supported far more than just the dogs. My partner and I discovered that this time together, walking the dogs, also allowed us to deepen and strengthen our relationship with our bodies, ourselves and each other.”
Sometimes it takes a nudge from others (and yes even our pets) to take those extra steps of responsibility, but with an openness to do so rather than feeling resentful these experiences can be fully appreciated.
I imagine there will be more discoveries about responsibility and how far and wide it goes for many experiences to come. I know there will be for me.
Responsibility goes much further than just the physical task we have to do as it is also to include the state of our being in that as this will ultimately be felt by other people as well. In every aspect of our lives there is actually something to learn and grow from, each and any moment of the day and in that we are firstly asked to live the love that we are to the best of our ability, and in that to live it more and more day after day which means that the level of love we live now will not be okay tomorrow as we would have grown to another level of responsibility and therefore our love should be correspondingly.
Beautifully said Nico – quality is everything. Without a true quality there can be no responsibility.
The trick where I tend to fall is to take on more work but tend to go into a functioning mode. The key is to deepen the quality of movement whilst expanding. Great sharing.Thank you Leonne.
‘…this showed me that everyone (including dogs) needs space to be where they are at.’ and this in itself is our responsibility – to simply hold others in the love that we are and allow them to make their own choices.
I love your sharing, I can relate to moments like this when you are put into a situation that calls for you to go to a deeper level of responsibility. It pulls you out of what has become your normal and asks you to expand.
Exactly Kristy, and that is what we call evolution, when we reach a certain level of responsibility that will be our normal and at the same time we are already asked to be more and the next level is waiting for us to be taken and lived, a continuous growing in all aspects of our lives.
Kristy that is so true, when we embrace what is before us, when we say yes to responsibility and what is next we always grow, evolve and learn. We feel the part of the flow of life we are and this becomes our natural cycle of expansion. I get a sense of this and I do this in part but to respond to life with full responsibility is an ongoing lesson.
A very sweet, humorous and insightful piece of writing on the joys of responsibility, thank you Leone.
I agree – to take true responsibility is not something we brag and speak loudly about, we simply get on with it in the full knowing that it is for the all – and with that, love just is.
Yes! Responsibility is so much more than we’re told and reflected by the world. We never stop learning and growing back to ourselves. We can block it and pretend that we don’t feel the fact that we never stop learning, but the truth is we do learn and we love it. We miss where we come from and there’s nothing more loving than feeling who we truly are, connecting to our Soul and to the love of our brothers and sisters. That starts with being intimate with ourselves. And being intimate with ourselves requires loving and caring choices, obviously.
Responsibility seems to sit with the understanding that we should ‘do’ the right thing but what defines the ‘right’ thing and the right thing by who? Having this understanding can mean that we become overwhelmed because for every person the ‘right’ thing could be different. Responsibility has become something that I innately know when I choose love as my way, when I choose to connect and feel the choices I make every day when I live knowing that we are all innately love and the way I treat my body, the thoughts I choose, the food I eat and whether I bring openness and honesty to the world. True responsibility is indeed our dear friend.
Thank you Leonne for such a sweet and playful piece of writing that holds so much wisdom, a great expression of who you are and what you offer.
I love the simplicity of this blog and the beautiful opportunities that we are presented with at any moment to reflect on the quality that we are choosing in our movement as it is this choice that has ripple effects and all those around even dogs!
There is a close relationship with time and responsibility and space. Sometimes we just have so much to do and seemingly no time there to respond and complete all those things we know it is our responsibility to complete and complete in full. Yet we also waste time too such as on facebook or checking out with tv etc. Not to say these things are wrong but when we do this there is less space to respond with responsibility.
A beautiful blog thank you Leonne.
Seeing potentially difficult situations as reflections allows us to not take things personally and hence truly deal with them.
It is easy to blame others for not matching our expectations but, when we start to take full responsibility for our part in life, nothing else anyone does matters.
Gorgeous Leonie, it is clear that as soon as you accepted responsibility for what was being asked of you, the need to ‘commit dog-murder’ was no longer the focus. What was particularly standout in what you’ve shared is that despite what you did not having the desired outcome, you seem completely unfazed by that. Having done your part, everything else was just as it was… beautiful!
If we read before we react to the world it supports all to not engage with that source of energy.
“I explained the situation to my boss and my predicament was received with understanding.” in many cases when we follow what is truly needed others can see this and respond back, its not always the case but I feel its far better to express the truth than lie. This is a big U turn from my time growing up where everything that came out of my mouth had a degree of lies in it.
What I also get the sense is that you let go of control, of who you wanted or needed the situation to play out and let it be as it was, giving space.
“We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” – and love. Your response to the barking dog could have been fuelled with frustration and anger, rather than understanding and acceptance as you did.
I love the playfulness here Leonne, how you explain your deeper learning of responsibility you had through dog sitting. It shows that responsibility does not have to be a heavy subject and we get many opportunities in all sorts of different practical ways in life to understand the call for more responsibility.
When we’re open, God to speaks through us, and guides us to see the deeper purpose of every relationship and activity.
When we take responsibility, great things start to happen, there is spaciousness and focus…to take on the purpose of greater responsibility.
Thank you for sharing Leonne. Your insight into the world of responsibility breaks down the false versions of responsibility that have been set up for people to avoid the very thing that confirms who we are.
Absolutely, Ariana …. for it indeed IS our responsibility to allow our divinity to shine through in all that we bring to each moment ….
‘This experience enabled me to see that responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome’ – what feels so special about what you’re sharing here, Leonne, is the loving connection you had with your self first in all of your choices and that affected the quality of everything that followed.
It feels like your plate just got higher and higher with all that you were taking on whilst you were house sitting, Leonne. What I felt so strongly reading your blog were the steady steps you took one after the other, addressing everything as it was presented to you, choosing to stay in the moment and the loving way you responded with care and understanding to each situation – Very beautiful.
If we ‘responded with responsibility’ rather than reaction then it would fast track our evolution no end.
’To the outside world I’m sure I appear very responsible and the truth is, I am…’ – I would assume most people see themselves as a responsible person in their own way, however to truly understand energetic responsibility is taking our awareness around what responsibility truly IS to a whole different level.
Choosing responsibility is the best remedy for being a control freak (and I speak from experience!). We can never control another person’s choices or actions, but we can bring a great deal of honesty, respect and insight to all situations when we take responsibility for all our own thoughts, movements and choices in life.
I agree Rowena, I find asking myself what’s my part in it helps me to take responsibility with all my choices.
How wonderful it is that the most mundane of tasks reveal to us a lot about our relationship with responsibility when we are willing to stay open to the bigger picture.
Whenever we allow ourselves to feel our Divinity and our Divine qualities we would actually all agree on the fact that we love responsibility! We’re Divine and we absolutely LOVE what we’re here to bring and reflect. What a complete difference if we look at how we look and trying to teach our young to be responsible. It is all about tasks and doing. Rather than confirming their innate Divine qualities. Doing our tasks is obviously much more joyful and light when we do them from our connection with the Universe / stars.
“This experience enabled me to see that responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome.” This in itself is a responsible way of looking at the situation. One could easily react and stress about what was going on, or one can look at the situation from the perspective of what is my responsibility in this? Responsibility is actually empowering!
Just today I realized that expressing and communicating in full is responsibility and to not do so leaves a pocket of irresponsibility. And there is much to express, ie the fullness of who we are with the everything there is.
I love the example you set in this blog of when faced with challenging situations to keep deepening the level of understanding, love, connection and engaging. It is so easy instead to go into reaction and upset in such situations. Yet it is inspiring to see how empowering and expansive it can be to simply rise to the situation and up the level of responsibility.
How key is it to remember to ‘read’ the situation before us and not lose ourselves in reaction when we find ourselves in a ‘barking dog situation’ in life. It is great to catch that moment and not to add fuel to the fire but rather bring understanding to it.
Yes Victoria, I agree to ‘read’ the situation is the essence, rather than simply jumping in or to conclusions.
Awesome blog Leonne, the choice is always there, do we react to what is before us, or respond…and wow what a difference it makes when we stay present with ourselves and do what is needed. Challenging situations can turn around completely.
Great example of how life reflects everything we need to learn back at us. Love your sense of humour Leonne. A sense of humour is exactly what is needed with all of life’s lessons.
We have definitely chosen a skewiff version of what responsibility is; as being something we should avoid at all costs, but what you have described here Leonne is the total opposite. We do seem to have a tendency to only look at things from one angle (ours), and then react or not from there, without considering the whole picture.
Great learning about space and allowing others whether they are dogs or humans the space they need to be who they are. It can be so easy to pigeon hole people and animals and expect them to behave in a certain way and not really connect and feel what it is they need.
Those who advocate being good have co-opted ‘responsibility’ into their pantheon of approved words. As being good is not being love – only looking as if you are being love – I have found it important to discern what kind of responsibility we are dealing with.
” We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” very profound Leonne. We can only change ourselves – not other people – but our reflection may initiate change in them also if we consistently hold ourselves as responsible for everything in our own lives.
‘I’ve discovered that the more responsible I become, the more I begin to see my irresponsible ways.’ It’s a bit like an onion as more and more layers are uncovered underneath…it seems that there will never be an end point as responsibility grows as we grow…just like love it can always deepen and expand.
I really love the way you write Leonne, light, humorous but with a really great message. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Whatever situation faces us the question is what we do and as you share Leonne, how we respond. There could have been a number of outcomes to the barking dogs but I love how you chose to take responsibility of what was felt and with that how it provided an opportunity for evolution for everyone.
What you share is great, Life is a constant reflection, it is up to us to step up and take responsibility. The more we step up the more responsibility comes our way.
What you present here Leonne, is a way of living that is in continuous connection with life and that understands that we live here to learn to live life in a different way, a way that responds to the reflections that are given to us through all that is in front of us just in our daily lives. What a difference this is to what I normally see that people react on that what is coming to them and by this reacting they create all the waywardness we see in our societies.
We huff and puff to change the world, politics and our lives. Everything we can think of, we have given a try. Except that is, stepping back and observing life and seeing it a beautiful play we are an integral actor in. When we do this, as you show Leonne, we can’t help but see that every line, and action is not alone but has meaning and a message in it for everyone alive. Nothing in this stage or arena is here by chance – for everything occurs to help us all return to Love.
‘ everyone (including dogs) needs space to be where they are at. We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.’ And what is interesting is that, as we change, so changes happen around us to reflect that.
Perhaps the hardest aspect of life I have found is accepting that there are things in life that you cannot change or control. And that just because the world is not as you would think it should be, does not necessarily mean you have to react or play ball with it, even though you are contained within its sphere. That in truth is true power, when you realise you are not beholden to temporal life, and yet are more than happy to commit to it in full.
True freedom Adam I agree, the ability to stand back and detach ourselves from the temporal life, all its dramas, rewards, indulgences and distractions and yet commit to it in full, transforming the quality of the everyday with a rich integrity, awareness and steadfast equanimity.
‘my gorgeous partner reminded me that the dogs were simply reflecting something to us’ – I love how you both allowed the space to feel the big picture – how the dogs were also being affected by their owners absence and adjusting to new carers – rather than just feeling how their barking and your lack of sleep was affecting you both. Gorgeous to feel the love and deep care that you both shared with the whole house.
Yep I love this awareness as well, Leonne isn’t making it about self but instead about the all acknowledging everyone who is in the space including the dogs. I would say this is definitely living responsibly.
‘the more responsible I become, the more I begin to see my irresponsible ways’ – this feels very supportive, in the sense that, if we could immediately feel how irresponsible we are and the extent to which we can become more responsible over a year say, it would be VERY confronting to say the least! As we start to live with more responsibility, another layer is revealed for us to work with and then another ….. it’s an ever deepening journey, the further we go the richer our lives become.
I remember some time back in a workshop at Universal Medicine when we were doing group work and we were discussing the word responsibility and our relationship with it. Someone said, how about we turn it around and say, I have an ability to respond with love. That lightened everyone up. So now, if I react to more responsibility and start to feel a burden, I remember those words.
Another gorgeous revelation by Leonnie: “We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.”
“I’ve discovered that the more responsible I become, the more I begin to see my irresponsible ways. Ouch.” – I love this sentence as it reveals the grandness of the word responsibility and the more we realise its meaning, then the more we realise how much we have to grow. When I was younger and studying at university, I loved learning about the cells, and how they worked, about physics and maths how it all magically unfolded, but the more I learned the more I realised how little I knew – not in the sense of feeling stupid, but in the sense of realising the grandness of what we are all a part of. I would feel so excited yet so humbled with each new thing I grasped or understood in science as it would reveal the next thing that was there for me to learn. Today I understand it a little differently – I understand that all this is already within us, the entire universe is available to us and it is not about having to study this at university that makes it in your reach, and so it is more about us opening up to the learning and allowing it to unfold as we grow and allow ourselves to ‘see’ in a true way. But this type of learning, just like the word responsibility, is something that grows as we grow…and there is a magic in this that is so beautiful.
Responsibility is not limited to our home or to a workplace or how we drive our car – it is a never ceasing call to live our inner-most truth and to reflect and live all that we divinely are in every aspect and moment of life..
It is so common in our society to see repsonsibility as a burden and something we would rather not have to do – when we start to see the overall responsibility as a gift and a true support, we will naturally grow and evolve in every aspect of our lives.
“If we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility” Leonne your blog demonstrates clearly that this is what you did and if we were to all do this rather than go on into our knee jerk reaction of ridicule or blame then we would be living in a very different world.
Leonne I am finding the same as you ‘lately I have come to understand responsibility on a much deeper level’. I feel like I am in an active relationship with responsibility, one that is forever deepening and evolving. It actually feels very beautiful as it feels like responsibility has become a loving partner.
Constantly seeing life as a reflection and reading what is needed becomes so simple when the relationship we have is open to evolution, and this is because what is felt is lovingly shared just like your partner has Leonne.
When I look back on this experience now I remember how much fun I had, despite the fact that I had much less sleep and a lot more on my plate. True responsibility magnifies light and joy, not heavy burdens.
Such a great point Leonne. When we truly focus and bring our full attention to what has to be done rather than thinking about how we will get it all done in the time we have to do it, it is amazing how space opens up and we can do far more in a short space of time than we could ever imagine doing.
Some situations are very difficult to deal with. Being extremely good is one way to do it but experiencing the difference between being good and being true has been one of the most valuable moments in my life when it happened.
It’s actually very loving to take responsibility – I recently had a blip with someone – and realised how selfish I was being – I was not taking responsibility for my choices and actions and blaming them.
Such a wonderfully presented sharing on what true responsibility is Leonne and what it means to respond to these situations and not react to them. A lot of the time we get the shield, armour and sword out of the bag, ready to react to anything that moves, but we don’t often think of taking responsibility out as our tool of response and support and what a way to respond!
It’s great to recognise that responsibility can be supportive rather than burdensome and that everyone benefits when we choose responsibility including us.
Spot on Helen! We often fight to embrace what allows us to grow and actually feel ‘free’.
The deeper we connect to ourselves and all others, the greater our responsibility, for we cannot but be aware of where we are living less and how far from the truth both individually and as a whole we are living.
Powerful message Leonne – sharing that each moment we need to accept, allow and appreciate what we learn and grow from.. And never to judge as this is the most evil thing to do.
Responding to life by seeing everything as a reflection is key in not taking situations personally.
Yes, especially when we learn to read what is happening and to respond.
I love the acceptance in those last couple of sentences. Acceptance is clearly part and parcel of that neat little package of energetic integrity called responsibility.
This comment is a neat little package as well. A great quote! “Acceptance is clearly part and parcel of that neat little package of energetic integrity called responsibility.”
It can be so easy in a moment of panic or when something is going wrong to instinctively want to back away, come up with excuses as to why it wasn’t your fault, try and defend yourself etc. What you are describing is stepping forward, into the seeming maelstrom and catching the falling bricks with both hands or cleaning up the mess if needed. Taking responsibility may not fix the situation but it is of far greater support to yourself and everyone else than the alternative.
“the more responsible I become, the more I begin to see my irresponsible ways.” This is probably why a great deal of people avoid taking full responsibility. Once we start to take a look at it we realise how much we have been irresponsible. Sticking our head in the sand, numbing ourselves with alcohol, drugs or food, or distracting ourselves with hobbies or copious amounts of entertainment can seem like better options when we want to avoid this level of awareness regarding responsibility. We need to have a willingness to truly look, and care enough to want to make the changes. It’s like pulling ourselves out of a deep sleep.
Responsibility is the most loving choice we can make for ourselves. Who doesn’t want to do everything we do with the stupendous love we are. I’m still learning to live with my love, but can assure that there’s nothing more juicy and tasty than feeling the loveliness of ourselves flowing through our own precious and delicate body.
Leonne I so enjoyed reading your blog as it was so funny and light and I also liked how you chose to not react to the challenging situation but instead respond with a new level of responsibility and awareness. I feel what you shared is something I can certainly learn from as the patience and commitment from you was beautiful to read and very inspiring.
Whenever I manage to see the bigger picture as is beautifully reflected here, I am amazed at the blessing of every life situation in offering an opportunity to deepen our love, understanding and the level of responsibility we live. Every moment has a gift of evolution if we choose to engage fully with an open heart.
To see all events in life as reflecting something for me to learn rather than just a ‘pain in the butt’ has been a life changing shift for me!
Yesterday I was offered an opportunity to respond with responsibility but I can feel how I chose not to and to react to the situation instead – reading this blog again refreshes the importance of recognising these moments when they arise for we are being offered learning to evolve.
I love how your blog Leonne shows us how reading situations and responding to them is also part of being responsible.
Absolutely – there is a choice to read and observe life or to react in emotion in every moment bar none.
My relationship with the word responsibility has changed a lot over the past few years. As I have started to take more responsibility, life has become simpler. Dealing with what needs to be dealt with has supported this change.
“We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” A great thing to remember, sometimes it is easy to think that if I am being responsible there will come a result that proves I am or have been doing the right thing yet this is not always what happens and the key is to not let ourselves in such a moment be discouraged but keep living what is true for us.
What shines through in your amazing sharing here Leonne is that it is how we respond to whatever the situation is that counts and in that it means responding with no fixed outcome or picture of what the end result would look like.
I can very much relate to the more responsibility I choose the more irresponsibility is uncovered. We have had a new puppy for 10 months now and this has been a very interesting process for our whole family on responsibility. Of course before we got our new family member our boys said they would walk the dog everyday and take him potty etc. etc. but in reality this didn’t happen… until we all as a family looked at our responsibility with caring for this dog. We now have a dog walking schedule for morning and night and it has changed everything. It means that we need to look at what time we are going to bed if it is our morning to walk him or how we have worked that day or been at school that has left us exhausted and not wanting to walk him and even down to what we have eaten that we then feel unwell and can’t walk him. It’s been amazing really. Responsibility doesn’t need to be seen as a burden but an opportunity to heal where irresponsibility is hurting and affecting our lives and those around us.
“This experience enabled me to see that responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome.” So true Leonne and this is my experience too, the more responsibility I take, the more I feel the support come back through my life, in my health, well being, relationships and work, everything benefits.
The more responsible I become the more irresponsible I know I have been or still am is an ouch but also a great realisation that its never too late to change our relationship with this word.
Seeing every aspect of life as a reflection is great, and dogs are particularly good at reflecting life back to us.
‘ And those twice-daily walks? They supported far more than just the dogs.’ – Consistency supports us to come back to a natural connection and steadiness in ourselves.
‘We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.’ What a great way to look at life and to look at the circumstances we find ourselves in… a great tool to dealing with all before us.
The bird had a lot to say – stay tuned for more about that soon 🙂
Reading this blog this morning helped me to deepen my relationship with responsibility even more. It is actually not about any task or role to perform, not in the doing, but actually in being in a healing relationship with life.
Beautifully said Nico.
I agree Leonne, responsibility is supportive and definitely not burdensome if it is the true form of responsibility. Because in the past I have misunderstood responsibility to meaning giving my power away and this is definitely not the same responsibility you are sharing about here. I am learning what true responsibility means and looks like and I am starting to embrace this more and more into my life.
I loved what you have shared. The gold is in the opportunity in deepening our awareness every moment and taking more responsibility is the key to this unfoldment. By virtue of this truth, life is being taken care of and we get to have fun, observe all our patterns and others’ patterns, work on reaction and expression, deepen in understanding and love, life is just too amazing when the relationship with evolution is deeply treasured.
There are always opportunities to deepen our relationships with responsibility.
Thank you Leonne for your sharing. The more I experience the need for me to take responsibility in all areas of life the more life flows. I no longer look outside myself for someone else to fix the problem.
What is shared here is the simplicity of living that life can be. We spend a lot of time over thinking, doubting and pretending not to know. Which is really quite silly, as when one looks at it from an open surrendered perspective, the simplicity of responsibility is there and very easy to live.
That really is taking responsibility to a new level. It would be amazing if society brought as much understanding to everyone as you have with the dogs Leonne! I too am coming to the understanding that everything is connected, bar nothing. No stone can be left unturned if we truly want to see everything. It’s a pretty huge responsibility in itself simply being willing to keep our eyes and hearts open.
Everything offers us an opportunity to build our relationship with responsibility and the finer details. With this honesty we make our choices – the rest usually unfolds as it is meant to. Everything affects everything else and this blog reminds me that all we have to be is ourselves and live connected to what feels true even if this allows the space for ‘gastro, barking dog’.
As is shared here, understanding makes responsibility an easy next step.
Leigh that’s so true, when we bring understanding, what seems like a challenge becomes a simple flow, things fall into place, we then have a deeper sense of awareness.
Yes, when there is full awareness of a situation it is usually obvious what the next steps are – what kind of action or inaction is loving, truthful and therefore responsible.
This is a great reflection to offer us a different way to respond to situations that many of us actually would judge strongly. Life’s offering us constant situations and reflections to turn up our responsibility by raising our awareness. Thank you for demonstrating that we do have a choice to either react or read any situation and respond accordingly.
‘Rather than choosing irresponsibility, it was time to up the ante and bring more love to the house and its occupants.’ Beautifully expressed Leonne, when we find ourselves in a challenging situation we can often take step backwards – love your front footing with Love and Responsibility.
I agree – step up and towards with greater love and responsibility and it may not magically make everything better but you will be in a far greater position to handle life.
Amazing to be so understanding of what was going on for the dogs and what it is they need to be supported. It could be easy just to be annoyed that they were playing up and causing such a disruption, but to consider more deeply what is going on and with your partner support each other through the process feels really solid. Everyone it seems benefited from the experience and I am sure the homeowners also came back to a more deeply loving house space. All from a basis of taking responsibility and not shying away from that word and what it can mean when we apply it in full to daily life.
Indeed Stephen, ignoring the messages or area’s of life which are offered to us to learn from and grow and react against instead of to naturally respond is actually irresponsible and completely against the nature of our being and in denial of the grander whole we are part of.
Embracing responsibility as a friend equals embracing oneself and to bring to full bloom one´s innate potential and power.
Love the insights and humour you bring to your writing Leonne. Awesome that you have allowed yourself to learn from the dogs too ☺.
“In the end, walking and connecting wasn’t enough to guarantee a good night’s sleep and this showed me that everyone (including dogs) needs space to be where they are at”.
In the shifting understanding of the word we can indeed embrace it – “Ah, responsibility, I’m beginning to understand that you are my friend.”
What I got from reading this is how responsibility is a ripple effect of love that everyone benefits from.
Leonne, I love the lightness in which you are sharing your experience – what an amazing tool we have by simply making a stop and read the situation we are in at any given time.
So true we can’t always change or fix things but bringing understanding can give people/dogs the space needed to be where they are at rather than compounding the issue with our own stuff. The responsibility lies in feeling what is really needed in any given moment. Something I am still learning everyday.
‘And those twice-daily walks? They supported far more than just the dogs. My partner and I discovered that this time together, walking the dogs, also allowed us to deepen and strengthen our relationship with our bodies, ourselves and each other. This experience enabled me to see that responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome.’ I so love this statement. There is such a shift in consciousness here. Quite often when I ask a child or teenager to do something ‘responsible’ they see it as time away from their need to check out, but learning to see these things as foundational and expansive creates the motivation to start an engagement with life they hadn’t considered before.
Responsibility is a movement we may embrace or not. It is one that transcends us personally since it is never only about us. It is a truly beholding way of moving. It supports us no matter what. It also brings transparency into the fore. It calls people to stop hiding.
I completely agree Leonne. The more we become responsible, the more we can see our irresponsibility and where more attention, love and care responsibly can be brought into every area of our lives and relationships. This is something that I am feeling at the moment. I am very aware that everything in my life actually needs to be lovingly looked over with a magnifying glass in order to hold the responsibility of the love I am.
Responding responsibly marks the end of blaming others or making ourselves victims of life in any way shape or form.
When our hearts are leading us, responsibility is just a given. Only when we react, do we feel responsibility as a burden or something that we do not find comfortable in our bodies.
Beautiful blog Leonne “if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” This is awesome and shows at every opportunity we can respond by reacting or with responsibility which in turn allows for space in which we always evolve from.
I’m going to talk about something completely, seemingly, different here, but it relates to what you share Leonne. The environment and the climate changes that we see right now. Instead of seeing it as something we have to fix, seeing it as a reflection of what the earth has to do to regulate itself from what is going on on her surface. And no, I’m not talking about cars giving off carbon dioxide but how we are and how we live. We’ve seen these changes before when there we no car in sight on earth so it cannot be solely that which is the problem. When you talk about beings needing space that is what we humans need I guess. Space to contemplate what it actually is that the earth is doing at the moment. Because if it’s not the CO2 then we get a bit puzzled. And this is perhaps where we can bring it back to responsibility. It seems easy to manufacture cars that put out less CO2 but it seems hard to let go of patterns we have, behavioural patterns that affect the earth as well. When we walk we walk on a living breathing body. Nonsense some might say but that shows how far away we are from knowing what life is truly about and why we are given such reflections time after time.
I love your take on responsibility Leonne, it makes it very real and uncovers the myths that it is something burdensome and instead something actually very natural to us in connection with our innate sense of deeply caring for another.
It is most likely that the majority of us live ‘responsible’ lives relative to what we understand responsibility to mean. But energetic responsibility, as taught by Serge Benhayon introduces a whole different aspect and the true meaning of what it means to live with this level of responsibility, and far from being a challenge it is actually something we all have the abiltiy to live, and very naturally so.
If ‘we can respond with responsibility’, and not go into any reaction like murder or any other egocentric act then we are only feeling the way we all can evolve so as you have shared Leonne when we give ourselves the space responsibility is supportive. When we take the egocentric self out of the frame life does become about responsibility and equality for everyone.
I have been coming to understand and feel that responsibility is part of who I am naturally, so when I am connected to myself I am being responsible.
Many of us may see the word responsibility as a challenge but in truth it is natural for us to feel and be responsible for the energy we are aligned to.
Very true Carmel. What I have come to understand is that if the word responsibility is s challenge it is the imposed version of this word that has been placed upon us for the wrong reasons that we react to. For true responsibility is just about love and the all. And love is everything everyone wants and everyone also melts when they have been considered in love and held as part of the all.
I love that coming to an acceptance of where the dogs were at. There is a lot to appreciate in that act of surrender. We are so often caught up in wanting to change things and for things to be better rather than being with what is.
How true is that Vanessa! Accepting and surrendering to what has a miraculous effect on my life. The need to control or change things drops away taking with it the struggle, leaving me in the natural flow.
At points in this blog I laughed out loud, such is your ability to communicate the responsibility of life with joy and lightness. How many would have just got stuck at the murderous thoughts and from there seen the whole time as a big fiasco, one issue to another! But by taking responsibility and digging deeper than that, you where able to make an otherwise tricky situation into one for learning and growth.
Responsibility to me used to be such a dirty word and although I still don’t have total unconditional love for the word or being responsible, I no longer have to hide or cower from it but am learning that the more we face it the better life flows. Thanks for sharing your experiences it’s a good thing to know and keep in mind that everything we experience is there to learn from if we keep open to it.
I agree that there are so many opportunities and moments in our days when we have a choice to go into some kind of reaction usually based on hurt or control or we can choose to act responsibly knowing that what we choose next will effect everything.
And this is a great point Andrew. Everything we do think and say affects the everything always. We can choose to be aware of this or simply ignore it but it doesn’t change this fact.
Something that strikes me here is our responsibility to communicate to each other, to share all that is going on for us, so that we can enlist each other’s support to see the bigger picture, let go of our emotional reactions and attend to what is important in life.
It would have been so easy to gloss over the message the dogs were giving you on your first night, I love the understanding you came to giving the dogs the space and time they needed to adjust.
I love the fact that you realised your responsibility for taking care of the dogs didn’t stop with simply house sitting them. You made the extra effort to connect with them and walk them twice a day. You were giving them what they needed which in turn helped the whole situation. A beautiful responsibility indeed.
I have found that life takes on a whole new dimension when I choose to look at what is being reflected back to me. Doing so brings richness to my days where life becomes my teacher and has wisdom to share. No day is simply mundane any more, but is full of opportunities to learn, grow and most importantly to evolve.
Well done Leonne I would have probably opted for the dog murder!!
Hehehe. It is a big thing to lose a night of sleep.
When we take responsibility in one area of our life it has a flow on effect in every other area of our life. This is beautiful because we do not then have to “try” and be responsible, we simply are by the very fact that taking responsibility pulls us to greater and greater responsibility.
What a gorgeous blog Leonne, and one that shows that there is something to be learnt from every situation, even if it looks like someone or something else is the cause.
What a super and descriptive post Leonne you outline really simply about seeing responsibility as a friend of ours, not enemy to fear or burden to carry, and hence avoid… the dogs barking attention towards this (!)
Our responsibility is to be love and to reproduce love, therefore anything that is not loving is irresponsible.
Spot on Alexis. This way of seeing the ‘responsibility’ makes sense and makes taking it easy without wanting to cringe at it.
I love how you share how flexible we sometimes need to be to accommodate all our responsibilities and how this simply needs planning and good communication.
This is the magic of life. Being open to feel and deeply experience the next point of evolutions when presented. We never know until its right there before us. And empowering to say ‘Yes’, as you both did.
Leonne, you bring such joy and humour to the topic of responsibility, I was wondering how the bird was throughout your stay?
I’ve written a blog about that already Jane. Let’s just say he was a canary in disguise… stay tuned.
“We began to walk the dogs twice a day, morning and night, and we did this religiously. `” I love Leonne how you bring in the truth about religion in your religious way you walked the dogs and show us how religion is not something for the weekend but something that is woven into the fabric of our daily movements.
What an amazing way for the people you house and animal sat for, to return to a home that you had re-imprinted!
We can appear very responsible, but there is, I am learning, levels of responsibility I can take. It is interesting too not just how good it feels to actually be responsible, perhaps that is due to how natural it is for us to act in a responsible way.
I could relate to knowing immediately how to responsibly take care of a situation but temporarily have beliefs and my mind come in to try to take me on a different track. What I have learned is I innately know what the next responsible decision is based on my body and inner heart.
Just beautiful Leonne, both in terms of content and in the way you’ve approached the task with a light touch and playful hand. Indeed a gorgeous reflection that a task – responsibility – need not be onerous. It’s simply asking us to be more… not more of what we’re not, but more of who we are.
Thank you Leonne, you make it so clear how responsibility is the ability to read and respond to whatever is being called for at any moment. And I totally agree, the more we read and become aware, the more we realise how much more responsibility there is for us to claim. We are so powerful.
I love how you bring this back to the fact it’s not about controlling everything around us but that it’s a reflection for us to consider and how do we then respond to it with responsibility? A great sharing Leonne, thank you.
‘We brought a deeper understanding to the situation the dogs found themselves in, knowing that having a temporary new family was a big adjustment for them.’ Different dynamics of relationships can be so very healing in that by you looking after your friends’ home, and you and the dogs being in a different space together you would not normally be in you both got to feel and heal something neither would have felt if it was not for the other! 💕
Responsibility can be a scary prospect for people – it means facing up to old problems, demons and behaviours. But ultimately, it is a progressive if not evolutionary way to live.
Responsibility is a joyful connection to act on the impulses that come from the inside. Nothing heavy, no duty, no obligations. ‘Simply’ a loving commitment to respond to our body’s communication.
What a fun read – thanks Leonne 🙂 Being responsible always meant being an adult to me – and who wants to be an adult?! But as I’ve grown older and into adulthood (gulp), I’ve come to have a different relationship with the big R. And turns out it ain’t that bad – where I once thought it would leave me drained, I found that I was energised by taking on more responsibility. There are days when I still don’t want to be an adult – but I’ve also found that being responsible is ageless.
‘This experience enabled me to see that responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome.’ Thank you Leonne, I really enjoyed reading your blog. You sum it up so well at the end by saying that we can’t always change situations we find ourselves in, but in learning to see each of these situations as a learning we can take the anxiety out of them and the need for them to go a certain way.
Absolutely Michelle, I’ve been seeing this more and more at work lately, how we can’t change anyone but we can look at what a situation brings up for us personally and learn so much from it. We are constantly given opportunities to bring up anything that we are holding on to that harbours us from being love with ourselves and others.
This is so true we always cannot change the situation we find ourselves in but if we take them as a learning and bring that understanding to it, then the tension,anxiety fades away and we find ourselves managing the situation well.
How wonderful to be able to see and accept that perhaps your own movements and choices were impacting on the dogs you were taking care of Leonne, and to appreciate that everything that happens in our lives is an opportunity for us to take a look at ourselves rather than always tending to blame it on something outside of us and claiming that we have no part in it.
Awesome blog about responsibility Leonne. It does very much support us when we are willing to take responsibility on board. For me understanding that there is a deeper level of responsibility has been a huge, huge support in my life and your blog inspires me to take this even deeper and see where else I may be delaying taking responsibility so I can deepen my relationship with responsibility more and more.
When “we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility” we empower ourselves.
Rather than getting frustrated and wound up, by the fact that you could see, ‘the dogs were simply reflecting something to us’ was a great way to handle the situation and learn from it….A way we could all look at something that we find a challenge.
This is awesome to shine positive light on responsibility when it is generally perceived as negative and burdonsome… these sharings of how truly supportive responsibility can be are so refreshing and inspiring!
This is so true Leonne…”…if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” Everything before us is a reflection of us – we may not be exactly the same but there is an aspect of us that has exactly the same intention, and our responsibility is the choice of our next intention.
Love this Leonne, quite a sharing of challenges and accepting life, bringing your all to every moment and doing that lovingly so. I have yet to walk in the evenings and I can really feel how much of a support it would be to our family, I am inspired to put this into action.
I love your sharing Leonne and how you and your partner looked at the reflections the dogs were giving you. To bring love and understanding to every situation, to know we are responsible for whatever situation we are in brings in more responsibility but also a quality lived with joy.
How refreshing to have someone write that being responsible felt great and supportive rather than burdensome! Love the process you went through to arrive at something that was supportive for all, responding rather than reacting (apart from the plotting dog murder bit :-). True response-ability.
It is very much about reading what is presented to us by life, so we can understand what is being reflected, as this will definitely support us in the deepening of our awareness.
This is great what you share Leonne, “We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” Life is all reflection and a great opportunity to stop and respond with responsibility.
If we spend time having a good think about what responsibility is, we would come up with all sorts of complicated and tiresome things. However the truth is that it’s very simple as your blog highlights Leonie. It highlights that everything does matter, how we are in every moment and that everything before us is a reflection for us to learn, understand and grow from – even if it is animals in our care.
Thank you for this sharing Leonne – I love that you were able to observe and respond to the dogs and came to the understanding that there was an opportunity here to take more responsibility. And the walking – I totally get this – when I walk my dogs even if it is just me, it is a time to simply connect back. I love it.
Every aspect of our lives offers us reflections for constant learning and opportunities to deepen our relationship with responsibility. In the moments when I connect to fact that life isn’t about improving ‘my lot’ but about being in relationship with the all, responsibility feels joyous and expansive in my body.
There is always a way to look at life through the lens of responsibility or irresponsibility….though if we have done the former we have automatically done the latter.
I love this blog Leonie, you can feel the lesson learned.. responsibility is not burdensome.
Your approach to this situation is truly remarkable; most people would have been cursing the day they ever agreed to housesit! I think its admirable and healthy to deal with life in such a reflective manner.
Great sharing Leonne – it goes to show how important it is to stop and read the situation before we jump to a conclusion or react to what is in front of us.
Responsibility is marvellous in its ability to appear anywhere and everywhere in our lives. I love the lightness of your blog Leonne in portraying it – its beauty in the midst of vomiting dogs, and gastro dogs – insistent and omnipresent, yet always we have the choice to respond or not. How easy it is to shirk responsibility with stories of blame and the tragedy of victimhood. How incredible when we do not and take the plunge into it. What understanding and development is on offer.
Thanks for the amazing reminder Leonne how, responsibility or irresponsibility not only effects us but those around us. When faced with situations that require us to take the next step it’s crucial to respond with responsibility, as if we don’t things can start to fall apart – it’s a common display to have reactions, excuses, resistance and turning our back or shrugging our shoulders but ultimately responsibility is just waiting to be activated so we can get on with it!
Great example of how one thing leads to another, responsibility begets more responsibility. I could also feel the joy and expansiveness that responsibility brought to your and your partner’s life and how you will just keep building on that awesome foundation.
‘responsibility begets more responsibility’ and so it does. Ever expanding, never standing still.
There are always those little nudges in my life when I think oh yeah I am doing OK and then then it comes – a little nudge to step it up. Usually it feels mildly irritating and exposing in the first instance and I want to blame anyone and everyone else to abdicate responsibility. I now recognize the signs stop myself and ask what change is needed.
I too am learning that often those moments that I want to fight the most are the ones that are in truth the most empowering and evolving once I do stop the fight and go with the flow.
Responsibility is something that we can only truly understand once we have connected to the magnificence of who we are. One then starts to realise the responsibility we have in living a life of what is called service. That word itself of course brings up many ideals and perhaps a picture of penance and martyrdom. But it is none of that at all. It is simply being true to our highest nature – which in simplistic terms of course is to be loving and open in every way, to not close ourselves down to the world and others. And why is that service? Because it serves to rebuild trust in humanity in love, and more importantly to offer others the realisation that there is a choice on how you choose to be in the world. We do not just have to subscribe to the way it is.
Adam what you have written here to me pure magic – being true to our highest nature. We see this way of living in the Benhayon family and it is very inspiring
I think you could say Leonne you are barking up the right tree with this blog, the care and understanding you gave the dogs is beautiful. And to have a partner to discuss and recognise the situation for what it was showing you to learn from is also fantastic.
Exactly. Not just “shut up!” but hmm what are you actually reflecting here…? And I guess anything and everything around us reflects something back to us. It’s just for us to be open and humble enough to see it that way instead of seeing things as a nuisance.
My feeling is that true responsibility is when you actually enjoy what you do and being responsible then is your natural thing. It’s not something you do just because you have to but because you want to and you feel that it’s needed. Like waking up knowing what is there for you to do. Just like nature does what it does without thinking that what it does is being responsible. Nature blossoms, nature grows and I’m not even sure they have the feeling of enjoying it, it’s just adhering to its innate calling purpose in life.
I love what you share here Matts. ‘My feeling is that true responsibility is when you actually enjoy what you do and being responsible then is your natural thing’. God given to wake us up and know what is there for us to do, just like nature does.
Dogs do indeed provide a great reflection for us and, like children, they don’t monitor their behaviour to accomodate us, so by being open to reading what they are showing us we can learn a lot about ourselves.
Absolutely Sandra, I have beautiful children and a beautiful dog. They certainly are a great reflection and I am learning from them. Also by understanding how I am feeling affects how they feel too. Listening and observing what is going on in my household is very interesting. Just last night noticing how my energy drop affects my entire family and this of course doesn’t just stop at the walls of my house, it expands out beyond the walls and affects humanity. Understanding this really highlights how important it is for me to embrace true responsibility, to actively play my part in taking responsibility for my actions, choices and behaviour.
A revealing statement Leone: “Rather than choosing irresponsibility, it was time to up the ante and bring more love to the house and its occupants.” It shows how responsibility (or irresponsibility) is about the quality we bring – knowing that to choose and deepen the expression of love, offers a foundation for change.
I like the title of this blog and your ‘no-brainer’ attitude Leonne, which shows how if we just respond with responsibility, rather than reacting to the situation it is clear what needs to be done. Responsibility then is not a burden or a tick-boxing exercice, it is response-ability which is supportive to all concerned.
I love this line: ‘I was being asked to take responsibility on many levels, and it felt great.’ It’s the opposite of what we’ve been taught and what we’re immersed with in society today. It feels amazing to say yes to more responsibility and then more again, and more again – because saying yes to responsibility is saying yes… to Love. And of course it feels great!
Looking at our part in a situation and how or if we’ve contributed to it is a huge part of responsibility, what if a disturbance that someone else experiences is down to the way we move or expressed? Or what if every time we’re off kilter we’re creating a disturbance for someone else? What happens around us is a super useful reflection.
What a great sharing Leonne. The aspect about responsibility, that is true responsibility, that most do not like is that it ultimately asks us to not make life solely about us but see that ALL our choices have an impact on everyone and that even though our life may be in good working order for ourselves it does not mean our choices are not having negative impacts for others that we may not be aware of.
Leonne I love your humour. Dog murder would have been on my mind too. I love the understanding that your partner brought and the love that you then built with the dogs and yourselves as a result. Yes, taking responsibility feels absolutely great. It makes no sense to avoid it.
It is a great point to bring that responsibility is supportive and not a burden – so often it can be felt this way rather than a simple opportunity to respond to what is presented.
What you are also sharing with us is not just responsibility and all that comes with that but also steadiness to stay steady no matter what is presented. When the dogs are vomiting and having the runs it’s not pleasant to clear up but they cannot help it and to let them know by every action that they are not at fault requires steadiness and understanding and it seems you gave them the space to let go of the tension they were holding in their bodies and just be. That is a wonderful healing for them and you.
While not living with a sick dog reading this I can feel there are parts of my life where I am being called to be more responsible and read whats required rather than being irresponsible. Thank you Leonne.
Leone this is a great sharing and understanding of what responsibility can be. So to get this understanding is a level of willingness to be open and to allow space. To take the time to connect and feel what is going on for all and ourselves.
Sounds like the people who asked you to look after things, knew what they were doing when they asked you two. Any lesser folk and there may have been a dog slaying.
I have always been a shirker of responsibility, thinking the very word a dirty one so to read this and not only get a better understanding about everything being a reflection but also seeing how far I have come from total irresponsibility to now. Love the concluding sentence especially.
I love what you are saying here about seeing every aspect of life as a reflection. Rather than just being annoyed at the dogs you went deeper and this brings more love and care to every situation that we are in. Responsibility then becomes about love and we often do not see that love and responsibility is one and the same thing.
“seeing every aspect of life as a reflection.” this is great reminder as in the last few days we have had quite a few challenges pop up around staff and behaviour, stopping to appreciate there is a deeper reflection and understanding here given and bringing love and care to the situation has eased away the tension or reaction.
With responsibility we are empowered to use our choices rather than see ourselves as a victim of life. I agree, responsibility is our friend, not an onerous thing that follows us around. And, as per your example Leonne, reading into the reflections life brings, offers us insight and opportunity to evolve and takes responsibility to another proactive level.
When we take the time to stop and feel what an animal is showing us it is an opportunity to learn more about ourselves. Looking back I am able to reflect on the dog cats and horses I had and the messages I was being given. They were huge but I was not able to read and understand them the way I would be able to do today. Animals are a gift if we give them the space to show us what the reflection is they are offering.
It can be so easy to put our hand up to something like dog sitting without really feeling into it and the responsibility we hold when doing this. I used to put my hand up and say yes to many things and then realise that what I put my hand up to was a picture of how it was likely to be but in truth was often a million miles away because I had not taken the responsibility to feel everything. It is not that I don’t put my hand up any more and volunteer things but I bring more awareness to why I am saying yes and then what ever unfolds I am ready and take full responsibility for.
It can take some effort to disentangle ourselves from our emotions, take a step back and look at the bigger picture, but when we do, it opens up a perspective on life previously unseen and supports us to delve deeper into our inner resources. We may not always resolve problems, but we will always grow in awareness.
“This experience enabled me to see that responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome.” A great observation. I had always considered responsibility to be a burden, but accepting its deeper meaning I now feel very differently. There is always a deeper level we can go to with responsibility – it continually evolves – and evolves us when we take responsibility!
Leonne I love this “We cannot always change other people, dogs or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” as it takes away that something did or did not work and brings us back to responding to what is presented, being responsible but not expecting any outcomes.
I agree Leonne, we cannot change where other people are at, to do so or try is based on our needs, being very imposing and a total lack of responsibility.
Absolutely – observing life and allowing all to be without needing to change or adjust what is before us in any respect. In accepting and allowing, there is great space for deeper understanding of ourselves and others.
A beautiful example of whenever we accept an invitation to undertake something we are offered an opportunity to deepen our understanding of energetic responsibility.
Your blog is proof, not that it is needed, that responsibility allows us to grow. And, the more we accept; the fog lifts for what we had refused to see in the past.
In a way you can say that being responsible is something that is very natural to us humans but maybe the real meaning of it has been bastardised and instead made into a burden instead of a way of life in which we can grow and evolve from.
In a recent team meeting I exchanged a rather knowing look with a colleague, in that moment, even though nothing was said out loud I contributed something very ugly to the world in my silent collusion. I could feel how utterly irresponsible I was being. I have the opportunity next time to be more responsible.
Wow Leonne I love what you have shared about responsibility: “. . . but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” That opens up a new dimension of not blaming others or circumstances for how we feel.
Leonne, this is a brilliant blog. I laughed reading the 4th paragraph, it was so funny because of your honesty and how relatable this is. I can become very irrational, not able to think or form sentences if I have lack of sleep, so I can totally relate. The beautiful lessons of responsibility sometimes comes in the most playful ways and when we are open to respond, we see the choice to take responsibility is constantly being reflected to us.
If I may add to the above comment, you’ve raised a great understanding here Leonne – that of how life will and does at times, call for an immediate response from us. Responsibility in temporal life and all that it requires is a foundation stone upon which we may deepen our understanding of true energetic responsibility. We learn about this every single day (if we are but willing) – the lessons never stop, and this in itself, can be a great joy (even if challenging us at times), and in no way hold the ‘burdensome’ misnomer that has been applied to our understanding of, and lived application of the word ‘responsibilty’. Break it down, and it simply reads: “response-ability” – it is an ever-marker of our mastery of the energetic laws that govern all life.
The ‘reflection’ aspect you’ve offered here Leonne is super important, isn’t it… It is in this that we hold the capacity to, if need be, determine the quality of our actions in ‘response’ to anything. And therein lies the true meaning of responsibility as far as I can today – thanks to the work of Serge Benhayon – understand and appreciate it: our highest responsibility actually rests in the quality of energy we bring to anything. It is this that has far greater ‘ripples’ than we realise… Something done in anger and frustration, as opposed to truly being done with love, is what makes the difference in this world.
This shows us that everything is always offering us a reflection and revealing what we can do by being more aware and understanding as in this case with the dogs. …”if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.”
Awesome Leonne. I have been a dog sitter on multiple occasions and have always found them to be full of reflections to explore, learn and enjoy the wisdom on offer. A great reflection of taking responsibility into our lives in every moment.
Beautiful Leonne to see everything as a reflection of what the choice to be responsible brings – more clarity, wisdom, the truth, more awareness and freedom. It is not burdensome it is what we deserve and who we are.
There can be a tendency to recoil away from responsibility, but your blog shows the exponential discoveries of learning and awareness are boundless and expansive. Saying ‘yes’ to responsibility is saying ‘yes’ to evolution.
How great things can be when we look at reflections and read what’s going instead of reacting and going into patterns. Life isn’t what it seems to be at times and a great percentage, in fact all the time we have a reflection we can read that will bring clearer what is going on. One thing I have seen and learning is that this is ongoing. There is no such thing as a perfect reflection, there is a clear reflection but like any reflection once you have moved it’s changed. Just a side note that even if you are standing completely still the earth is still spinning around you and so you have moved even though you haven’t moved, even a breath is a movement if we are getting precise. What is being offered is that take everything in that is being reflected to you at any moment and then be ready for the same process in the next second and so on. Life is a constant reflection and so in that we need to be constantly ready to read, everything, responsibility.
It’s cool to see how we still tend to link responsibility with an outcome of some kind, where we will tick the box or receive love. Responsibility though, as you show us so openly Leonne, is just the natural language of life. In a sense it is not special at all, but when we embrace it fully it has an alchemy that is super powerful – for not just one dog but for us all xxx
Your blog shows that responsibility brings an expansion into your life, in more ways than one!
Your great blog Leonne, shows us how reading a situation and getting an understanding of what is truly going on, means we are taking responsibility, which is part of working together, dogs and all.
Thank you Leonne for reminding us that we have an opportunity in every situation to consider and then make a choice about our level of responsibility not only to ourselves but to others.
Wow Leonne, your Awareness is stunning .. and your sensitivity. Normally people would not go to the depths you and your partner have done and just see their job as house and pet sitting (which it was) but you considered so much more, you considered everyone including the dogs and yourself and your partner. You can but only grow and truly expand and evolve from living in such a way as you have shared here. Very inspiring.
I love how you’ve put that responsibility is one’s friend. Reading this and reflecting on my life, this is so true. Thank you for the simple way you’ve expressed this quality that responsibility brings when I am open to supporting myself.
I love the lessons that can be presented in life when we choose to do something deeply loving for another. There is never a break in our evolution should we choose to constantly respond to it as there is never a break in responsibility and what it can reflect to us in how to best support ourselves and others regardless of the situation.
“… but if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.” A much more successful tact to take than murdering the dog! And yes I agree, taking responsibility is actually very rewarding, not in a ‘good/bad’ sort of way, but a way that deepens our understanding and appreciation of life, and one another, even down to the most simplest of things like taking a walk together twice a day.
“…if we see every aspect of life as a reflection, we can respond with responsibility.”
It really is as simple and gorgeous as that, thank you Leonne. Responsibility = response-ability: our ‘ability to respond’ to the truth that forever pulses within us.
“the more responsible I become, the more I begin to see my irresponsible ways.” and the more we see and discard our irresponsible ways the more room there is for responsibility… I’d call that a win-win cycle!
I love the practical sharing of responsibility in our everyday lives. Every single day, every moment is about responsibility, how we respond to any given situation. It just does not happen to us, it is happening and it is for us to respond to life. This way of living with responsibility as you have shared Leonne, brings a deeper quality to our lives and that of others, one of evolving together…just like you and those animals….
I used to find responsibility to be such a burden, an imposition. However, I have come to realise that when I feel that it is because I am resisting doing something that I know in truth is actually beneficial for myself and/or others. Choosing and learning to embrace doing these things I, too, can say, “Ah, responsibility, I’m beginning to understand that you are my friend.”
Sometimes we only feel the big things in life as moments when we are faced with the choice to be responsible but what this blog shows clearly is that it is in every moment and especially in the tiniest of connecting moments that are the true moments of responsibility for these make up the whole. It is so true Leonne – ‘This experience enabled me to see that responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome.’ And is the foundation that supports us back.
I love this blog. Thank you Leonne. I cant put my finger on it but I can feel that your gentle playful and tongue in cheek story has fundamentally changed something about my relationship with responsibility. I will be revisiting this delightful story many times.
Great to reread my own blog and remember the reflections my furry friends gave me. Dogs are very honest and they don’t play games (well not mind games anyway). What you see is what you get and everything they do is a reflection for us humans. When we read why things play out as they do we begin to take responsibility.
‘responsibility is supportive rather than burdensome’ – Very true, and when everyone in a group or community takes responsibility for their part then things can flow amazingly! How can you have arguments when everyone is working on building the same respect for each other and doing what’s needed to be done?
True how deeply supportive responsibility is. When we put loving responsibility ahead of temporal gotta do’s, with honest, open and transparent communication about our situation, usually the gotta-do’s rise to the occasion and also support us to fulfill all our responsibilities with nothing left out. Win win win….
Leonne thank you for writing this – I am discovering how living with dogs offers us a new level of reflection we don’t always get from humans – dogs don’t lie, they see (smell) everything and are simply being all of who they are. They are there with unconditional love at all times and respond or react instantly to the energy we are aligned to, there is no escaping truth when you live with a dog.
I couldn’t agree more Carmel. I’m looking after another completely different dog at the moment and he is giving me a lot to ponder on. Imagine if human beings were as honest about what they felt as dogs are? I feel the world would be a much better (and funnier) place 🙂
Loved it Leone, humorous, insightful and very responsible blog. A beautiful reminder to that there is always a deeper layer of responsibility we can step up to if we are willing to clear the self induced fog and accept the reflection on offer.
What a beautiful story Leonne, one that lightens up the often very heavy burden that so many of us feel that responsibility is. To me it is about not running away from a situation but simply asking – what it is that needs to be done right now? – and then get on with it. Running away from responsibility, as I have done in the past, doesn’t work as it just follows you, waiting for a resolution at some time in the future.
Inspiring to read how you two chose for observation after going into reaction. We indeed can’t change the circumstances, but we can respond lovingly and feel into the needs in any given situation. I’m sure we can all relate to these situations. Turn up the love = turning up responsibility. Beautiful!
A great tale Leone, and as I read your words I could feel all the areas where responsibility is asking more of me also. And to not be afraid of it, but to embrace it.
I sometimes avoid taking that next step but each time I do it is so rewarding to feel that I wonder why I avoided it in the first place. You have given me much to reflect on.
Your blog shows me the richness of the learnings that life can offer us, if we are open to seeing what is on offer. It has inspired me to take more responsibility and to look at what life is offering me and see where I can bring more.
This is gorgeous Leonie, the lightness of being that is possible with connecting to the purpose of responsibility. I too have looked after other people’s dogs and discovered walking with them twice a day has an amazing settling effect for them. They can be quite different in their behaviour quite quickly as they appreciate the connection and what they are being offered – this is my take on it.
Thank you Leonne, what I get from reading this is how anything can be thrown at us at any time to respond to and depending on whether we respond or react detemines what choices we make next in these challenging situations. It seems through your experience by stepping back and accepting and then responding, as you did, we see what our responsibility is and the part we play in the situation and how there is then much more to learn than we realised there could be. This shines a whole new light on responsibility – thank you.
There is certainly a part in me that hates responsibility, the question is how much I align with that or not.
“I’ve discovered that the more responsible I become, the more I begin to see my irresponsible ways. Ouch.” Very true and a great reminder to not go like ‘oh my I don’t do anything right’ when I notice more irresponsible little things I do in my everyday life but to see it as a deepening of my responsibility and celebrate that too.
Beautiful Leonne. Responsibility really is being open to deal with whatever comes up and to stay loving and true to ourselves, in the process. This is something that when we have extreme challenges can have us reacting and feeling like we can’t cope and yet underneath that is such a strong knowing that everything is connected and that what is happening on one level is a reflection of something on another and there is something to be read and understood.
A great way of explaining how I am starting to see the word as our ‘Response-ability’. When I can respond to a situation I am far more loving with myself, others and what is before me. And I can only respond to a situation when I am connected, loving and caring for myself first, it’s one big cycle.
Well, thank you Leonne. “I was being asked to take responsibility on many levels, and it felt great.” That is something we never expect, or I certainly didn’t. I thought responsibility would be burdensome but it is actualy very freeing and empowering.
Loving this blog, it is so beautifully showing us that everything in life asks us to be more and take the responsibility that is needed. Life is full of opportunities to learn and evolve.
Beautiful Leonne, brilliant actually.. And it shows us that All is our learning and for that we can take every time again our next step of responsibility. Clear, true and powerful. That means that all that comes our way = bad or good, we can handle it by taking our responsibility for it.. and NEVER give up.
What you have shared Leonne, is such a great way that we can all evolve by stepping seemingly into another’s shoes and seeing life from a different perspective. Being responsible takes on a whole new angle when seen through a dog’s eyes.
A great reminder Leonne that taking responsibility can be “..supportive rather than burdensome..” and that we can’t approach a situation wanting to change people (or dogs) but remember to give them space and the grace of knowing they are where they are for a reason and it’s all part of their learning.
Peter, giving others space and grace is not something that I have done much of. In truth I have spent more time encroaching and marauding others. My behaviour arose out of a desperate need to control my environment, which in turn arose as a result of refusing to take responsibility for how I felt. The more responsibility I now take for myself, the more space I am naturally able to give others.