Taking back ownership of our lives

Buddhist Story of Personal Responsibility

Once upon a time, in a peaceful village nestled between mountains, there lived a wise monk named Ananda. Ananda was known for his deep understanding of life and his unwavering inner peace. One day, a troubled villager named Suri approached him, seeking guidance.

“Master Ananda,” Suri began, “I am burdened by the actions and words of others. They constantly judge and criticize me, and it makes me feel powerless and unhappy. How can I find peace in such a hostile world?”

Ananda smiled gently and replied, “Suri, let me share a story with you. There once was a man who carried a heavy sack of stones everywhere he went. He believed that each stone represented the opinions and judgments of others about him. The more he carried, the heavier his burden became, and the more difficult his journey.”

“The man met a wise sage who told him, ‘My friend, you do not need to carry these stones. They are not yours to bear. The moment you take personal responsibility for everything in your life, you gain the power to change it.'”

Ananda continued, “Suri, freedom comes when you realize that you cannot make others happy if they are unhappy with themselves. Their happiness is their responsibility, not yours. No matter how others treat you, you are never their victim unless you choose to believe so. This is true empowerment.”

“What is true needs no defense,” Ananda said. “When you defend yourself against others’ opinions, you weaken your own position. Instead, stand strong in your truth. Understand that others’ harsh words often come from their own pain and weakness. By responding with compassion and calm, you transform their energy and create a space for healing.”

He concluded, “Remember, Suri, the only thing in your way is you. Every choice you make shapes your life. Embrace responsibility, and you will discover how powerful you truly are. As Gandhi said, ‘You must be the change you want to see in the world.’ Your inner peace does not depend on the external world but on your inner choices.”

Suri felt a wave of relief wash over him. He bowed deeply to Ananda and said, “Thank you, Master. I now understand that my peace and happiness are within my own hands.”

As you settle into today’s practice, reflect on Ananda’s wisdom. Embrace the power of taking responsibility for your thoughts and actions. Let go of the burdens others place upon you, and find your strength within.

“The moment you take personal responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you change anything in your life.” Hal Elrod

“Freedom comes when you realize you can’t make other people happy, especially if they are not happy with themselves. The are the only one that can make them happy. Its not your job, your responsibility or duty, and by all means it is not your fault.” David Scott

“What is true needs no defense and offers none. Anything that needs defense you do not want, for anything that needs defense will weaken you.” A Course in miracles

No matter what anyone does to you or how they treat you, you are never their victim unless you believe so. This is empowerment. The harder I fight about defending someone’s opinion of me, the more I strengthen their position, because you don’t attack what you are not threatened by. If I get angry and upset, I must be secretly afraid that what you are saying about me, may be true. Do I want to see myself as weak and fragile, Do I want to believe they took my power away? Or instead, from a place of strength do I realize they are speaking from a place of weakness and pain. If I return the same energy, I become just like them. If I return the opposite energy, I depolarize them and healing can occur.” – AARON ABKE

“For most people, blaming others is a subconscious mechanism for avoiding accountability. In reality, the only thing in your way is YOU.” – Steve Maraboli

“Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It’s not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make. Period.” Wayne Dyer

“There are two primary choices in life: To accept conditions as they exist or accept the responsibility for changing them.” Dr. Denis Waitley

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

“It is only when you take responsibility for your life that you discover how powerful you truly are.” Allanah Hunt

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” Eleanor Roosevelt

“Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.” – Sigmund Freud

“Stop writing promissory notes and checks, that you already know emotionally you cannot cash.” – David Scott

“How can we expect someone to make us happy, if we are not happy with ourselves? I’d rather be disliked for who I am, than loved for who I’m not.” – David Scott

“In communicating with others, one of the biggest obstacles to good communications, is that often we listen to defend and respond, instead of just empathetically actively listening. Have we ever caught ourselves, before someone finishes their sentence, already formulating a response in our mind to defend pour position? Yoga teaches to seek first to understand and only then respond.” – David Scott

“If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you will see obstacles.” – Wayne Dyer

“The person who insists on seeing with perfect clarity before they decide, never decides. To end in certainty we must first begin with doubt.” – David Scott

“Take risk… If you win you will be happy, if you lose you will be wise.”

“She was unstoppable, not because she did not have fears, or doubts, but because she continued on in spite of them.”

“Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.” – Drake

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost

“The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.” – Tony Robbins

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” – Heraclitus

“There is a strange comfort in knowing that no matter what happens today, the Sun will rise again tomorrow.” – Aaron Lauritsen

“The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That’s all there ever is.” – Alan Watts

“I just constantly tell myself that I should be the only one to define my worth and what I’m capable of and how I perceive myself. And that I should never source that worth from other people, especially strangers on social media. They don’t know who I am, the length of my journey, who I am as a person.” – Catriona Gray

“Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s okay. You’re here to live your life, not to make everyone understand.” – Banksy

“The seeker embarks on a journey to find what he wants and discovers, along the way, what he needs.” – Wally Lamb

“Each one of us has our own evolution of life, and each one of us goes through different tests which are unique and challenging. But certain things are common. And we do learn things from each other’s experiences. On a spiritual journey, we all have the same destination.” – A. R. Rahman

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” – Greg Anderson

“Don’t Settle… Stay hungry, stay foolish. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”–Maya Angelou