Ray O'Laughlin bases his talk on ‘The Man in the Mirror' by Dale Wimbrow and reminds us of the freedom and transformational power of accepting personal responsibility. Ray O'Laughlin discusses the difference between accountability and responsibility and the importance of bringing our “who” to our “what” to experience fulfilment and peace.
We live in a fast-paced world. It’s chaotic, and there’s this drive to succeed and compete; the need to make more money, have more followers, get a better car, a bigger house, etc.
The list goes on and on. Why do we do it? What drives this hunger? Is it for ourselves, or do we seek these things to earn the approval of other people?
Only judgment of ourselves is the only thing that matters, and at the end of the day after we have done everything we seek, we need to remember our “how” and be able to look at ourselves in the eye and smile.
The Man in the Mirror
When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf*,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.
For it isn’t your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.
He’s the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear up to the end,
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you’ve cheated the guy in the glass.
Dale Wimbrow
(* wealth)
Listen to the TED Talk here: Personal Responsibility: THE Game Changer
