“You pass from childhood to adulthood when you take full responsibility for your life.” 

Jim Rohn

If you are reading this post then likely you are old enough to be considered an adult. In most jurisdictions you become an “adult” at 18 years of age. If we use Jim Rohn’s test to determine when people pass from childhood to adulthood however, things change.

There are some people who learn at a very early age to take full responsibility for their decisions, actions and words, even before they are classified as adults. There are other people who long ago met the legal standard to be classified as an adult, but have failed to make the transition from childhood to adulthood using Jim Rohn’s standard. 

In today’s society it seems that too many people are pushing the narrative that encourages people to adopt the victim mentality. The problem is that the victim mentality keeps people stuck in childhood, never allowing them to make the transition to adulthood. I am in no way trying to diminish the challenges people have encountered, people’s suffering or the wrongs that have been done to people. The only way forward however, is taking full responsibility for your life. 

I have had the privilege of speaking with a number of people over the years that have been abused, neglected, experienced trauma and suffered greatly at the hands of others. The ones, who have been able to move forward and demonstrate what many would refer to as resilience, were the ones who took responsibility for their life and took action. In his book Resilience, Eric Greitens writes that resilience is not about bouncing back, because you can never go back to the way it was, or the way you were, before the trauma. Resilience he says is about moving through: Moving through Hardship to Happiness, Suffering to Strength and Pain to Wisdom. The way to move through is to take full responsibility for your life and to take action.

Passing from childhood to adulthood is a choice that requires a willingness to accept full responsibility for your life and a willingness to be held accountable for your choices, actions and decisions. The sooner we accept that, the sooner we can make the transition. 

What’s Important Now? The journey from childhood to adulthood is a choice. Choose well, Hold Fast and Stay True. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

www.daretobegreatleadership.com The online Dare to Be Great: Strategies for Creating a Culture of Leading workshop was created to help aspiring leaders and frontline leaders on their leadership journey. Subscribe to the weekly blog while you are there. 

 

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