Responsibilty

“Character — the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life — is the source from which self-respect springs.” I think we all go through moments in our life in which we have self-respect and moments when we don't. During my freshmen year I played college football at a small school in Montana fulfilling a dream that I had as a young kid. Pretty much my entire life I had focused on playing football so when halfway through my freshman year I tore my ACL and MCL. I did the whole rehab thing but just wasn't the same and ended up quitting. At this point I had basically no respect for myself. Blamed everyone around me for what had happened and what was happening to me. My entire being was focused on this one thing so when it was taken I had no idea what I could even do. I was totally unwilling to look at myself at try to reinvent myself.
Eventually after about a year and a half of hating myself, dropping out of school, and moving back home working construction for my uncle I realized that I was the person that was holding me back. I had to get rid of my own preconceived notions of who I was if I was ever going to do more with my life. I needed to take responsibility for my own life. I definitely still question myself about whether I belong or if I am going to do anything in my future but now more than ever I have respect for myself. I have become more willing to take risks and to accept the outcomes of these choices.