Response-ability: A Life Skills that Creates Responsibility

Life’s challenges come at us from all directions. At work, at home, and at school, challenges are what keep life interesting. As these challenges arise, we have a choice in how to approach them. No matter how we choose to respond, our choices come from one of two places: above the line or below the line.

“The Line” is the parallel that divides our character and represents responsibility. “Living Above the Line” is a powerful life skill, that comes from the ideology of “Money & You,” a course for entrepreneurs and business people. A foundation for communication and personal interaction, living Above the Line highlights and puts into practice the act of Ownership, or taking responsibility for one’s actions.

Just as the horizon differentiates between the Earth and sky, the “Line” signifies the strength of our personal character. Every one of us chooses to either consciously or subconsciously live in one of two places; either ‘Above or Below the Line.’ When we choose to come from ‘Below the Line,’ our lives become circumstance-driven. We let go of our ownership and send the message to the world that we are not in control of our lives. People who live ‘Below the Line,’ all too often lay blame, justify, deny, and quit as they show the world that they have little to no control over their personal responsibilities.

“Laying blame” could quite possibly be the most common and damaging way to live Below the Line. To a high school student being called out by their teacher for talking in class, this could look like, “She was talking to ME! It’s not my fault!” While the student may think he or she has a viable excuse, it doesn’t solve the issue or promote responsibility, and is a reliable way to cause bad feelings.

A second way to live Below the Line is to “Justify.” Justification happens when we create reasons why we didn’t perform as we had planned. “Why did I get pulled over?! Everyone else is speeding” This Below the Line tendency provides reasons for failure in believing that the reason will make everything acceptable.

When we “Deny,” we are committing yet another “Below the Line” fallacy. “I didn’t do it.” This obviously ineffective response can create certain frustration with others and make us appear unreliable and dishonest.

Finally, the most disheartening form of Below the Line thinking is to all out “Quit.” You quit when you believe so passionately that you will fail that you don’t even bother to try. This act sabotages your chances for success even before they begin. Quitting is the most profound way to diminish and deceive yourself.

Fortunately, there is a whole other place to live from. By living Above the Line, we are using response-ability, a life skill which can be defined as “having the ability to respond.” With response-ability comes increasing choices and freedoms. At SuperCamp, an academic summer camp for kids and teens, students learn that living Above the Line means being accountable for their actions and having a willingness to make corrections when necessary. It means looking at the options and finding solutions to become more effective. This thinking leads students to greater freedoms as they use their experiences to move toward success rather than being controlled by circumstances. You determine your own actions.

By living Above the Line, people take responsibility for their own lives. You begin to have greater control because you stop blaming things outside yourself for your current situation. For students, this means learning to take ownership of their education, relationships, and other areas of their lives. They can create a shift in their lives simply by taking ownership of their attitude.

Response-ability is the ability to respond to what happens to you, rather than just accepting it. When you sit back and accept, things happen to you. When you take action, you make life happen for you.

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