“Behavior may not be your fault, but it is your responsibility.” So said the Grasshopper as he hopped out of the poison ivy while I was walking the dog yesterday.

Suppose you unknowingly walk through some poison ivy. It’s certainly not your fault, but it is now your situation and it’s your responsibility to remedy the itch.

Behavior has consequences whether you’re aware of what you did or not.

Reminds me of a story . . . My stepfather’s biological son caused some property damage while driving erratically many years ago. The authorities came after my stepfather for payment since his son was a minor. He didn’t have the ability to pay, so they suspended his (the father’s) driver’s license until he made restitution.

He had nothing to do with the driving behavior but he did bear responsibility for it.

It’s been a long time since President Truman issued his famous quote “The buck stops here” and many of us have forgotten the reality of responsibility he referred to.

I’m responsible for ending the previous sentence with a preposition. I could easily make an argument that it wasn’t my fault – lousy teachers, persnickety grammarians, etc. but the behavior and the responsibility are solely mine.

Deflecting fault for our behavior just prolongs the remedy. When we grasp that our behavior and the behavior of those under our charge is our responsibility, we step in the direction of a solution rather than wasting time arguing for absolution.

No matter what your age, equating behavior with responsibility is a sign that you have officially grown up.

All the best,

John