You have a great feeling of impotence. When you take responsibility for your life, you begin to make things happen.AccountabilityTaking ownership is all about accountability, taking ownership of what you do and think—including your mistakes, your excuses, your failures to act, and actions that you're not very proud of.And that's the worst part of passing the buck: It erodes your relationships.. It makes you a potent force in your own life. You're taking ownership.Accountability is a whole-life concept: You can take ownership of your career, relationships, finances, education, fitness—everything that's important to you. Here's what it looks like:Above the Line: Choices~Accountability~Freedom~Responsibility~Solutions~WillingessBelow the line: Laying Blame~Justification~Giving Up~Denial~ReasonsWhen you're playing above the line, you're taking responsibility, being accountable for your actions, and looking for solutions.. It means you're willing to take responsibility for the choices you make.* I take responsibility. It means accepting responsibility for making change happen, whether good or bad. Although denial might take some of the immediate heat off you, it does little to relieve the feelings of guilt and incompetence that come when you know you've let someone down. When you feel a sense of ownership, you give your best efforts and take pride in the results. It allows you to make things happen.Ownership is the quality of accountability and responsibility. Denying responsibility doesn't make the problem go away, and it may even make you look unreliable and even dishonest.The buck stops with youWhen you pass the buck, you volunteer for powerlessness. she didn't send the report . The bottom line is that whether things go wrong or right, you point to yourself as the cause.Why hold yourself accountable? What does accountability do for you? Accountability puts you in control.. You remove yourself from the equation. Playing above the line wins you freedom, trust, and success. Below the line, you act as if circumstances are beyond your control—it's not your fault, there's nothing you can do about it.. You can create a massive shift in your life simply by taking ownership of your attitude.* I see what needs to be done, and do it.Dismantle the word "accountability" and you'll see that it literally means the ability to be counted on. It marks you as someone who can't be counted on.You've heard, and probably used, denials of ownership that offer excuses, lay blame elsewhere, or otherwise justify actions that did not produce a favorable outcome: the kids made me late .To understand the significance of the line in your life, think about some recent actions and decide whether your response was above the line or below the line. Above the line, you're not a victim of circumstances because you determine how you'll respond to them." —Henry Kissinger. You're accountable. I would have called, but . I think that sometimes it is the absence of responsibility that is harder to bear.At SuperCamp's summer camp programs, students are told to be someone who can be counted upon, someone who responds. You can create a huge shift in your life simply by taking ownership of your attitude. You make yourself a passive ingredient in the recipe of your own life.Affirmations for OWNERSHIP:* I am accountable for my actions. To maintain the respect of others and keep your relationships solid, the buck stops with you!Above the line? Or below the line?To illustrate the key of Ownership in our summer camp and school programs, we talk about playing above the line or below the line. Did you miss a deadline? Were you late for a meeting? Did you take responsibility—or make excuses?When you own your actions and attitude you can fix mistakes and overcome failures, you have the power to repair damaged relationships, and you experience a surge of potency and a sense of pride.When you're playing below the line, you're blaming others for your mistakes, justifying your actions, or simply denying them. etc. You live in complacency and inaction. You are in control because you stop blaming things outside yourself for your situation. Accountability puts you in control—and being in control makes you feel China Running Machines powerful and effective.. It's not."People think responsibility is hard to bear.