Who's it up to?

A dear friend of mine who is a sales trainer for a national company often asks the question to his sales trainees, "Who's it up to?" He answers emphatically; "It's up to me!" Terry, addresses the core principles behind the need for each of us to take personal responsibility and ownership for our thoughts and actions.

I see headlines every day that incite people to anger rather than action. Maybe the missing element in dealing with most of the problems or difficulties we face daily, is the lack of personal responsibility followed by a personal action to offer a remedy the situation.

While someone else may be partially or fully responsible for the mess we are in, we may also attribute some of the blame or responsibility back on us. The big IF is often: "What IF I do something and no one follows?" My question is; What IF I do nothing or just talk about it and take no action? We all lose!

A forest fire starts with a tiny spark, followed by a smoldering nearby brush, then on to burning a great deal of unsuspecting kindling until it it extinguished. By taking action we can be like that tiny spark. Our actions will inspire others to action.

The Scriptures in Leviticus 26:3&4 says "If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit."

So when I hear of challenges, problems or difficulties rather than complain or think that it is up to someone else I will remember Terry's words: "who's it up to?" My response, "It is up to me."