Sometimes, a word transforms completely when you see it not for its dictionary entry but for its parts. Will Smith is a master at this. So was Bruce Lee. In Striking Thoughts, he notes that “response-ability” is one of several synonyms for “living in the now” and leaning into your creativity.
When we think about responsibility, whatever we imagine usually looks like work. “Ugh. Do I really have to?” But what if responsibility is not an obligation but an opportunity? A chance to practice your ability to respond?
Life doesn’t force you to do anything. It just presents you with challenges. Whether you face them or walk away is up to you. But in every moment, you have the ability to respond, and how you respond is entirely up to you.
You can walk out singing the day you get fired. You can write a poem with a rhyming scheme no one’s ever used before. And instead of taking every word literally, you can pull them apart and infuse them with your own meaning.
Nothing is your fault, but everything is your responsibility—and when you use your response-ability, that word means “freedom” instead of “burden.”
