There is a video trending on YouTube of a little 2 year old boy with sprinkles on his face and his mother asks him if he has gotten into the sprinkles and he denies it. She continues to ask him if he is sure he hasn’t eaten any sprinkles and he says no. She even asks him how the chair was pushed up to the counter where the sprinkles are spilled out and he says he doesn’t know. She then asks him if he saw anyone come and push the chair up to the counter and eat the sprinkles and he continues with his story of not knowing anything. She asks him one last time and he tells her he absolutely did not eat the sprinkles as a two year old can best explain.

Of course we all know he ate the sprinkles and we believe he pushed the chair to the counter and made the mess while he was eating the sprinkles. He wouldn’t take responsibility for his actions. He knew at that early age that what he did was wrong and that there were consequences to his actions that were not favorable so he tried the lying tactic. However he was only two and clearly not sophisticated enough to wipe his mouth clean of the evidence!

How often have we as adults been in a similar situation where we know the impending outcome to our actions is, on the surface, more painful than telling the truth so we skirt around taking responsibility and either deny or deny and then blame someone or something to take the heat off us? I can certainly raise my hand. I am sure you can too. Whether it is a little white lie or a doozey of a lie. We have all been in similar situations where it just seems like the better choice. But is it?

When we take responsibility and say – yes, I did that or, yes I forgot to do that, or I am sorry for what I did even though the initial reaction may be negative and depending on the indiscretion, may result in a severe punishment such as losing a job or ending a relationship, in the end, it is always the best decision.

Responsibility is defined as the state or fact of being accountable for something within one’s power, control or management. Everyone makes mistakes or indiscretions of varying degrees. That is part of being human. Taking responsibility is the best way of handling those mistakes and beginning the healing path to becoming whole again.