Responsibility.

It’s important to do what you’ve been entrusted with – the normal way of thinking about responsibility.

It’s more important for you to identify what you must do and do it – a sharper definition of responsibility.

Break down the word responsibility and it’s about having the ability to respond.

The first definition helps you to respond when something or someone needs your help – a friend, a situation, work.

The second definition means you get up every day ready to do that thing you do with courage, generosity, and wisdom, and not to do it hurts – in relationships, work, leisure, interests.

Courage, because true humility has allowed you to be more who you really are in an uber-connected way: with others, the world, and your future.  Generosity, because gratitude has made it possible to see you have everything you need right now to begin.  And, wisdom, because your faithfulness in daily practicing your talents and being grateful in everything you do and every relationship, means you’re living wisdom – nothing wasted.

Maybe this is resilient living – able to be who we are in every moment and situation. or, maybe its more, what Nassim Taleb has named antifragility – the ability to flourish in difficult places and situations.*  (Flourish is another way of saying passionately create your art.)

Of course, it’s easier to make others responsible for creativity – partners, employers, teachers, best friends, politicians, God.

And, yes, clearly, there’s the possibility of failure.

And the possibility of the best of futures.

(*I’m not suggesting stupidly dangerous ways and places where we’d get squished rather than flourish – the things which are akin to walking in front of a moving bus.)