Accountable Citizens Updates

Inspirational Quotes About Life That Will Inspire And Encourage!

Sometimes we all get stuck in a dark place and need a lift. These inspirational quotes about life will encourage confidence and inspire success.

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The Difference Between Leadership and Management From Past Experience

One of our editors experienced the difference between leadership and management as a first-time employee. The lessons learned then are still being used today.

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What Is Your Purpose? Maybe Part of Our Story Will Help

What is your purpose? Sometimes life presents it to you in surprising ways as it did for our editorial team.

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It's Never Too Late!

Month in and month out, our "most-read" page is titled "How To Be More Responsible." You can find it in the link below.

How To Be More Responsible

A few days ago we posted a new column from T. O. Illustratio, the title of which was "The Curse of Responsibility." As usual, the author wrote in a sort of facetious style to guide readers to the message intended with that piece. You can find this column in the link below.

The Curse Of Responsibility

The author didn't intend to bemoan a forced compulsion to act in any specific direction. This is the truth about being responsible. We don't have to do it. It's a choice. Being accountable for our actions is a choice. Learning new skills to bring about positive change is a choice.

All of us in this editorial room can attest to the fact that making the choice to be more responsible won't be as easy as ignoring the whole idea of responsibility. Doing minimums is always easier.

In my own battle with codependency and the assorted demons that latch on to that quagmire, much like barnacles latch on to a sunken ship, an overpowering urge to give up was always present. A feeling of hopelessness was constant. Doing anything to lift myself out of the morass of depression, anger, and guilt was forced far back in my thought pattern. This is exactly why so many people remain in toxic relationships, unfulfilling careers, or remained trapped in the unrelenting grip of addiction.

Choosing the easier, more well-travelled road that leads ultimately to despondency and regret is why so many people approaching the end of life wish they had made different choices in their youth.

It's never too late to change course, to learn new skills, to become more responsible, to become leaders. That's why we write the pages for this website. It's never too late, so the chance is always there to change a life for the better. We've done it so we know you can do it and do it better and faster than we did.

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Servant Leadership Through The Lens of A Life Learning and Using It

After being immersed in the concept of servant leadership, one of our editors shares a guide to developing this vital, empowering skill.

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The Curse Of Responsibility Through The Eyes Of A Grateful Human

Guest author T.O. Illustratio shares a first person viewpoint of the curse of responsibility.

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A List of Character Traits With Wizardly Perspective

Guest author T.O. Illustratio invokes a classic movie to illuminate the value in this short list of character traits.

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The Relationship of Cause and Effect Determines Every World Event

Understanding the relationship of cause and effect is the most effective leadership skill because it utilizes every other skill.

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5 Stages Of Grief Through My Own Experiences

I'm sharing my personal story of going through the 5 stages of grief to help you when you face the same journey.

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It's Been A Tough Two Weeks

Sincere apologies for the extended absence from this column. Our tight-knit editorial team that is in so many ways a family has gone through a difficult two week stretch, culminating in the loss of an actual family member.

We asked the same questions so many have asked in similar situations. Questions that will never be answered, at least not in this earthly lifetime. Why would someone who spent most of a shortened adult life working to help people out of dangerous, lonely places be taken at an early age?

Why would someone who did all the right things in terms of health, proper nutrition, fitness, everything that is supposed to promote longevity be stricken with a fatal disease that would ravage all vital organs with the rapid efficiency of a wildfire roaring through a neighborhood?

We've asked these questions, we've sat silently in sadness and we've been rendered ineffective in our mission as editors of this website, held back by grief, anger, and finally acceptance.

That acceptance leads us to remember how supportive of our mission our lost family member was and how it would serve the memory of that family member by getting back into the work.

We've heard from dozens of people who came forward with their own personal stories of how our lost relative changed their lives, many of them stating that their lives were saved by those experiences.

So the time for grieving is over. We'll still be sad. That's part of being human. We'll experience more loss along the journey, as that is also part of human life. But we have the example of a life well-lived to inspire us, to guide us, and to encourage us to keep doing what we started.

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The Opportunity This Life Provides

A couple days ago in this spot I wrote from a quiet spot in a medical facility. You can find that post by scrolling down to the page titled "Perspective." On that day I saw a steady stream of people coming in to fight off serious disease.

At some point we all come to the end of our lives. We don't get to avoid that fate. But we get to decide what we do with the time we have in this life. On that day in the medical facility I thought of this short video.

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Being Accountable Is When...

Being accountable is when:

* We don't blame other people when we are at fault. We also don't look to trap people in mistakes.

* We don't make excuses. "It isn't my fault. The sun was in my eyes. I'm a victim of my environment. I didn't get a fair chance. The devil made me do it." Any excuse will work when looking for an easy way out of being accountable for your actions.

* We take responsibility for our part in every situation. We recognize that what is going on in our own world, in our relationships, and in all of life are the direct results of our beliefs and actions. Change our beliefs and we can change our actions. If we aren't happy with a situation, we can either change the situation or change our beliefs in that situation.

* "How are we part of the problem?" If we all asked that simple question more often, we would solve so many problems. And then follow up with, "How can I be part of the solution?"

* Recognize "Toxicity" signs. Especially within ourselves because if we have them, we will certainly spread them. Check out our page about codependency to learn more.

* We offer sincere apologies when we hurt someone. This is so important but so overlooked. And it goes together with the next bullet point. When we cause harm, tell the person you are sorry and do so in an accountable manner. When we say something like, "I'm really sorry, but I was having a bad day" or "You don't understand but I was under lots of stress," we've already wasted the opportunity to be sincere and to be part of the solution.

* Listen better. So much could be solved, so many challenges rectified with simply listening better. When angry shouting goes away, when decibel levels lower, stress and anxiety go down as well. Be accountable for your own actions in confrontational situations. Someone has to be the example and as always it starts with the person we see in the mirror.

* Get over it. Yeah, I know. Life isn't fair. We don't all get the same amount of good breaks. Quit looking for a hand out and instead, get better and offer a hand up to lift someone who can then lift someone else. If you've been hurt, and almost everyone has been hurt at least a dozen times in life, let it go and move on past the hurt. Someone once wrote, "Wounded people wound people."

* If we start it, finish it. Such a basic concept, but we all face this obstacle at some point. It gets tougher than we thought, we lose confidence or maybe lose sight of why we started something.

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Perspective

I'm writing this column from a quiet area in a specialized care facility. I'm here this morning because I drove someone over to map out a plan for combating a serious illness. We listened to the most recent test results and the ramifications attached to those results. There were difficult choices to make, but a plan was created.

I noticed the following quote from Mother Teresa on the wall of the surgeon's office. I'm sharing it with you today.

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is a beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it. Life is costly, care for it.

Life is wealth, keep it. Life is love, enjoy it.

Life is mystery, know it. Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is a sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is Life, fight for it!.”

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What Makes Good Leadership Qualities? Wry Insight From A Guest Author

Guest author T.O. Illustratio offers a tongue-in-check answer to the question, "What makes good leadership qualities?"

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What Is Morality and Ethics? A Solid Guide If Grounded In Truth.

What is morality and ethics? It can be a fundamental guide to life, but only if backed by a solid truth baseline.

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