Let’s go inside my teenage son’s room recently, as we got underneath his bed to clean his room. We started talking about “responsibility.”

You are responsible for your actions – or for your lack of actions. All too often we blame others for our failures or missed opportunities when we have nobody to blame but ourselves because we failed to take the steps necessary to achieve a particular goal.  Taking responsibility also helps you become a better person and earn the respect of those around you. We all make mistakes, and when we own up to them, that builds trust in those around us. They know that when we do mess up we are going to make it right and take action to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. We aren’t going to blame our failure on somebody else.

His response? What did you just say?...and where’s a trash bag?

The end.