Assume Ownership of Your Future Responsibilities
Treat this as a message to the young. The goal here is not to influence you into doing something but simply make you aware of the fact that responsibilities are a certainty in life.
Treat this blog post as a message to the young.
The Future is Always Here
We don't like to talk about it, but we can never escape responsibilities; they are bound to come whether we like it or not.
We might as well accept them now, so that we can fulfill them with ease once they arise.
Failing or ignoring our responsibilities, present or future, will only lead to consequences, both big and small.
Future Responsibilities You Must Own
Being a Parent
Do you have plans on getting married and having children of your own? If not, then this part is of no concern to you. If yes, keep on reading.
What kind of Father, what kind of Mother do you want to be to your children?
What kind of stories from your past are you able to tell them? Is it a boring one? An exiting one? Something to be proud of? Something to be ashamed of?
How are you going to educate them? What kind of childhood do you want them to experience? Will you be able to afford it now? In the future? What makes you think so?
....
The Responsibility of a Parent
At the core of parenting, parents have the responsibility to ensure that their child or children have their basic needs met.
These basic needs include food, water, a place to live, clothes, education, and resources that prevents or cures illness.
But providing the basic necessities is just the bare minimum.
What kind of future do you want your child to be able to have?
You have to ask yourself what kind of person you want your child to become. You need to ask yourself what kind of life you want them to have.
Once you have an answer, it is your responsibility to provide the necessities and education to ensure your child or children can become the type of person or persons you want them to be and have the type of life they deserve.
To note:
I believe in freedom to choose, but I also believe that parents should have a say in their child's future even if they are already an adult.
Like not doing drugs, going to places where dangerous people fraternize, or participating in activities that you deem evil or wrong.
However, if the issue is simply a matter of differing interests, such as the child wanting to pursue a different career, then it’s best to respect their choices. Trying to control your child's future in these areas will only lead to bitterness and conflict.
Attempting to control or influence your child's future can only be justified if the future they pursue is sinful.
How does your children to perceive you? How do you want them to perceive you?
Parenting does not stop in providing the necessities. Your character, how you act and live in the world also matters.
Children, after all, look up to adults, especially their parents as role models.
This is why one of the responsibilities of a parent is to be very strict to one's character and livelihood.
The influence of parents, adults, or even older siblings around the child, whether big or small, plays a crucial role in shaping their own character.
Highlights:
- Reflect on what kind of father or mother you want to be to your children.
- Plan how you will educate your children and the kind of childhood you want them to experience.
- Assess your ability to afford their upbringing now and in the future.
- Ensure that your child's basic needs such as food, water, shelter, clothing, education, and healthcare are met.
- Determine the type of person you want your child to become and the kind of life you want them to have.
- Recognize that your character and actions are important as children see parents as role models.
- Understand that the influence of parents, guardians, other adults, and older siblings plays a crucial role in shaping your child's character.
Being a Leader
Nothing in this world is unchanging; this applies to social positions in your personal life or work life—whether we like it or not, it is certain that at some point, we will find ourselves in a leadership position.
What kind of leader do you want to be known as? A clever one? A generous one? A strong one? All of the above and then some?
Consider what you have provided to your team. Did it help them grow? Was it productive? Can the work you've done be easily replaced?
How confident are you in your ability to lead effectively? How would you handle criticism? How do you resolve and prevent conflicts?
What is the end goal? Is your end goal aligned with that of your team? If not, can you find a way to bring them together?
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The Responsibility of a Leader
Live long enough and you are bound to find yourself in a leadership position.
The main job of a leader is not only to provide an end goal, convince people to do their jobs, and delegate tasks, but also to provide the necessary support and resources for their subordinates to get the job done.
You will know a leader is incompetent if they fail to do any one of these primary tasks. Everything else, on the other hand, is secondary.
Highlights:
- Everyone will find themselves in a leadership role at some point in their lives.
- Consider what kind of leader you want to be known as—clever, generous, strong, or a combination.
- Reflect on what you’ve provided to your team—was it beneficial, productive, or easily replaced?
- Assess your confidence in leading effectively, handling criticism, and resolving conflicts.
- Ensure your end goal aligns with that of your team, and work together if it doesn't.
- The main job of a leader is to set clear goals, delegate tasks, and provide necessary support and resources.
- A leader’s incompetence is evident if they fail to accomplish these primary tasks.
Being a Man
What kind of man do you want to be known for once you pass away?
What was your dream job? Did you get there? Regardless if you did or not, are you content with it?
What achievements do you have? Are you satisfied with it?
What sins have you committed? Were they justified? Were they mild and benign? Or were they repulsive? Does it bother you? Can you still do something about it?
....
The Responsibility of Being a Man
When I say "man", I mean "person", not a literal "man", but human.
As you journey through life, you will inevitably face moments that define who you truly are.
While pursuing personal fulfillment and your dreams is important, a life without virtue is incomplete.
Guilt and karma will weigh heavily on you in the end. Make amends for your wrongdoings if you can.
You will know a man is failing in his responsibilities if he neglects to reflect on his actions, address his mistakes, and strive for continuous self-improvement.
Highlights:
- Consider the kind of man you want to be remembered as after your passing.
- Reflect on whether you achieved your dream job and if you are content with your career.
- Evaluate your achievements and your level of satisfaction with them.
- Examine past wrongdoings and assess if they still bother you and if you can make amends.
- Pursuing dreams is important, but living a virtuous life is essential.
How Did This Blog Post Came To Be?
This all started from a simple thought I had "If I had children, what kind of person do I want to be?".
I realize then that there are certain responsibilities that I have to fulfill to be considered a good parent.
I realize then that I felt a sense of responsibility to become a good parent my otherwise, non existant children, which is weird, but interesting.
I figure that if we can harness this sense of responsibility to motivate ourselves, it would help us achieve our goals.
And the one way I found most effective to harness our sense of responsibilities is to identify our identity.
which answers the question "Who am I?", which then lead to another question "Who do I want to be?", which lead me to the idea of accepting future responsibilities.
FINAL WORDS
This blog post is not here to influence you into doing something but simply make you aware of the fact that responsibilities are a certainty in life.
Copyright ©2024 by Marshall Vulta
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