Haven’t we all seen a child mimic their parents or older siblings? Children seem especially eager to emulate those who are older than they.

Many of us have a child in our lives. Maybe it is our own children, other relatives or a neighbor. It could just be a child who sees us out in our community.

The point is that we are all a role model to someone – whether we know it or not. If we remember that others may be learning from our behavior – will that make us strive to be our best selves?

What do you think? Do you have a responsibility to the children in your community to be a good example?

“I’m not paid to be a role model. I’m paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court.” – Charles Barkley, Phoenix Suns, 1993 Nike Commercial

“Charles, you can deny being a role model all you want but I don’t think it is your decision to make. We don’t choose to be role models. We are chosen. Our only choice is whether to be a good one or a bad one.” -Karl “The Mailman” Malone, Utah Jazz, 1993

Life is full of choices. Being responsible means being in charge of our choices and, thus, our lives.

Responsibility requires us to recognize that what we do and what we don’t do matters and that we are responsible for the consequences of our choices.

Responsibility reaches far and wide – maybe into areas of our life that we hadn’t considered. Being responsible is more than just doing what you are supposed to do.

Responsibility also includes:

• Be accountable – for what you do and do not do
• Exercise self-control – take charge of your own life
• Plan and set goals – identify what success means to you and plan to achieve them
• Choose positive attitudes – choose to be enthusiastic and optimistic
• Do your duty – acknowledge and meet your legal and ethical obligations
• Be self-reliant – manage your affairs and enable yourself to ‘pay your own way’
• Pursue excellence – do your best, persevere, be diligent, work hard
• Be proactive – take initiative
• Be persistent – stick to it and finish what you start
• Be reflective – think ahead to anticipate consequences
• Set a good example – you teach what you do, not what you say
• Be morally autonomous – decide for yourself what is right and wrong according to universal principals and develop a reliable conscience