Want to Change the World?

I'm reading Decent People, Decent Company: How to Lead with Character at Work and in Life, by Robert L. and Carolyn N. Turnkett, for this month's nonfiction book and I came across a thought that I believe can change the world if we all internalize it -

"Accountability means changing the question in your life from 'Why don't they . . . ?' to 'What can I . . . ?'" (121).

Take, for example, the United States of America - would it ever have come into existence if the colonies never took ownership for their situation? How many marriages could be saved in today's world by taking ownership of the relationship instead of blaming everything on the spouse or outside problems? I believe the majority of good done in the world is from people taking accountability for their situations and for situations around them. I also believe one of America's greatest problems is a lack of individual responsibility and accountability - if we individually change our internal questions from "Why don't they . . .?" to "What can I . . . ?" imagine how much good can come - we could change the world!

Turnkett, Robert L. and Carolyn N. Decent People, Decent Company: How to Lead with Character at Work and in Life. Mountain View, California: Davies-Black Publishing, 2005.