“Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.” ~Over the Rainbow by Judy Garland
If I only had [fill in the blank], I would be happy, my life would be awesome, I’d be successful… In the meantime, I don’t, so I’m not, and I don’t see how I could possibly get [fill in the blank].
It’s crazy how many people live their entire lives like this. Even when they get their [fill in the blank], they enjoy a moment of happiness, awesomeness and success before dreaming up a new [fill in the blank] that they don’t have so they can go back to feeling not so happy, awesome or successful.
What if I told you that your [fill in the blank] is and always has been available to you? All you have to do is decide that it’s possible for you and take action toward it consistently and persistently until you get it.
In order to be, do and have what you want, the most important thing you must do is take personal responsibility. Be fully accountable to yourself and your dreams.
“When you unleash the power of personal accountability, it will energize you in life-altering ways, giving you a concrete boost that enhances your ability to think, to withstand adversity, to generate confidence and to increase your own natural emotional, mental and intellectual strength.”
“At the heart of the message lies this one simple truth: You can’t let your circumstances define who you are and what you do. That kind of thinking only brings a sense of victimization that paralyzes your ability to think clearly, creatively and quickly. Instead, you have to take accountability in order to take charge of shaping your circumstances. Do this and good things, positive things, game-changing things will begin to happen.
Easy to say, maybe harder to do.”
Below The Line is the land of victimhood and blame. It’s a place where you take no responsibility for your life. It’s a place where you’re powerless to change anything so you blame other people and things for your circumstances.
Below The Line, you sit and wait to be told what to do. You point fingers and ignore or deny responsibility. Anything that needs to be done isn’t your job.
“Nothing much good happens Below The Line: problems don’t get solved, goals aren’t attained and dreams die.”
Sometimes we all slip below the line if we’ve had enough and just need to vent for a bit. That’s fine every now and then. Just don’t stay there long.
Above The Line is where you’re personally accountable. You’re in charge of your life, your circumstances and your destiny. If something needs to be done for you to achieve your vision, you’re the one that’s going to do it.
The book outlines four steps to personal accountability:
1. See it.
2. Own it.
3. Solve it.
4. Do it.
See It
Everyone sees the world through their own lens of experiences and beliefs. Everyone lives in a different reality. All day, every day, you’re choosing how you want to see yourself, the people around you and the world.
You may not see things that are obvious to others. Or you may choose not to see things because they create too much pain for you.
The essence of the See It principle is to see things as they are. This will require that you ask for input or feedback from others and open your eyes and ears to different perspectives.
You can’t change or be accountable for what you can’t see.
The key question to ask yourself in this step is: What is the reality I most need to acknowledge in order to achieve the results I want in my life?
Getting feedback from others about yourself and your situation can help to alleviate your blind spots and understand the situation from the perspective of others.
“Only by working up the courage to See It can you rise above the Below The Line excuses and achieve your desired Above The Line results.”
Own It
“When it comes to achieving the result you want, are you a renter or an owner? Are you approaching what you want with the high level of commitment, interest, and investment that only an owner can possess? Or are you going through the motions, only half committing to the goal, leaving yourself an easy exit in case things don’t go the way you hoped?”
This quote reminds me of how, years ago, I shifted my perception of my relationships, even my marriage. Without realizing it, I was a renter: half committing with a toe out the door should things go wrong. It wasn’t until I saw this in myself that I could change it.
Once I saw it, I knew that I had to own it to change the patterns I had repeated so many times. I committed completely with no back door, no exit plan. I turned into an owner in the afternoon I made that choice. My life – and relationships – have been infinitely better ever since.
Most people and circumstances around you are outside of your control. You can control yourself, and that’s about it.
Focus on what you can do and what you can control. Focusing on all the things you can’t control will prevent you from owning it and taking the actions where you do have control.
The key question to ask yourself in this step is: How am I contributing to the problem and/or solution?
Owning It includes seeing how you’ve contributed to the current issue that you want to change. In my relationship example, I started to see how my beliefs and actions contributed to my repeating patterns. From there, I could control my actions in the moment and make different choices from an Owner’s perspective.
Solve It
“Typically, someone makes it to the Solve It step because they sincerely want to achieve some challenging goal or solve a sticky problem. Having a little faith that most problems can be solved is crucial to your ability to take this step Above The Line. This takes belief. It takes tenacity. It typically takes some real stick-to-itiveness to get where you want to go.”
Solving It means coming up with solutions because your life depends on it. “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me.”
In this step, you’re taking personal responsibility for making your vision happen. You’re going to do the work. You’re not going for the quick fix or the easy road. You’re going to do whatever it takes.
Solving It means sticking with something longer than most other people will. Owning It means going the extra mile when everyone else is taking the easy road (and not achieving what they want and going back Below The Line).
The key question to ask yourself in this step is: What else can I do?
When you’ve hit a wall, ask yourself what else you can do. Send the question to the Universe and dig deep within yourself.
Key to Solving It is to simply take action. Look at each action as an experiment from which you learn a little more about a solution and yourself. There is no failure.
Ask others how they might solve the problem. They may see the issue differently resulting in a better solution.
Don’t limit yourself to what you think might work. You’ll never really know if something will work until you try.
“Every successful journey Above The Line begins by asking a single question: What else can I do to achieve the result I want?”
Do It
Doing It means going for it, all out. It’s not about trying. It’s about making a commitment and making it happen.
You’ve got to want it more than you don’t want it.
Create a plan and follow your plan. You’ll run into bumps and roadblocks but, at this point, you’re committed to a solution.
This is the hardest part of the process. This is where things will get tough and you’ll start to come up with reasons/excuses for not moving forward.
Friends and family may try to pull you back to where you were. All kinds of obstacles may suddenly appear. You’ll have to make tough choices in order to get where you want.
Every day is a new choice, a new commitment to yourself and what’s important to you.
“Whether it’s risk, fear, laziness, health difficulties, toxic associations or any other inhibiting factor, there will most likely come a time when you hit the Do It wall. To keep yourself Above The Line and moving forward, make sure you repeatedly ask:
What am I accountable to do and by when?
Then make a plan with the steps you need to take – things that you can do that are within your control – and follow through to do what you say you will do.”
Making Choices
Every day, all day, you’re making choices. You’re choosing one thought, belief and action over another.
Is each of those choices keeping you Above The Line and moving you closer to your vision? If not, how can you choose differently?
The key to creating the life you want is to commit to stay Above The Line in every aspect of your life. Own and control what you can and let the rest go.
Personal accountability empowers you to make a difference. You’re no longer giving away your power. You’re using it to create your own amazing life.
Make a choice to read The Wisdom of Oz and discover what’s possible for you.