Accept responsibility.

Remember, the moment you accept total responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you claim the power to change anything in your life, Hal Elrod.

It is very important to accept responsibility, recognize when the other party is right, and also our own flaws and mistakes. This recognition is essential because everyone could see that we do not want to look good or above them, we are not moved by revenge or pride, but we are focused on problem resolution, success, and improving the quality of our relationships.

1. Besides, being able to accept our faults and mistakes is tough, but is also a key part of personal growth. It shows maturity and intelligence. If you don’t accept and learn from your errors, you are bound to repeat them, and even make things worse. It is not to be confused with self-destructive and self-defeating thoughts and behaviors.

   

2. Nobody is perfect and neither are we, but it is also important that our recognition is sincere, it should be accompanied by an apology, and the willingness and determination to act differently in the future: “I am really sorry that I’m late. It was not my intention at all to keep you waiting. I’ll leave my office half an hour earlier next time, so I’ll get here on time.” It is also a good idea to offer something to mitigate or compensate for our error or fault: “Let me invite you to a cup of coffee or tea for having wasted your time.”

   

3. We all make mistakes and we must recognize them. It is absolutely essential to accept responsibility for what we do, say, think, and feel.

   If we refuse to do so and blame others (“I am late because my son was sick”), our health (“I have such a terrible headache today that I haven’t managed to do anything productive and on time yet”), politicians, laws, and regulations (“Of course, it’s impossible to park because of traffic congestion/the mayor has taken away all public parking”), etc., searching for excuses everywhere, it will show us as being immature, and therefore, as people who are not trustworthy, nor sincere, unable to compromise or get anything accomplished.

   

4. Accepting responsibility is tough; it is never easy and there is no way around it, but it is the only way for personal and professional success, as well as for building positive, meaningful, and stable relationships.

   

5. It is very important to recognize our flaws and mistakes, but it is even more so to learn from them in order to prevent them from happening again. If we do not rectify and grow, people will get frustrated, tired, and even angry with us.