In Order To Move Forward We Must - written by Jeffrey A Solochek

In order to be able to move forward in our lives we must be willing to take responsibility for our past. My parents divorced when I was 10. I don't take responsibility for the fact that they divorced but I do take full responsibility for how I handled my parents divorce. We always have a choice whether to go right or left or North or South. If someone in my life says that they are starting over but yet they take no responsibility for their past then I want nothing to do with them.

My sister in law says that she is cleaning up her life but yet she has never said I am sorry for what I did to you in the past or for all the money she cost me. She is now visiting my wife at our home but I will not even talk to her because as far as I am concerned nothing has changed. She is still the same person she was 20 years ago. I will continue to be hurt by what she did to me in the past and I will not move forward with her until she learns that she needs to take responsibility for all the pain that she caused me.

I don't think I am being unrealistic despite what my wife and her family may say or think. A few years ago when I chose to make a new start in life I had to first take responsibility for the choices I made in my past. If I wronged somebody then I apologized to them. For all the lies that I told I apologized to the peoplke that I told the lies to. Someday in the future when I have more money I will even be looking at contributing to a charity or helping those who have less than I have.

Even in the Bible and with the 12 steps they tell us that we need to take responsibility for what we have done in the past. Now I do disagree that a son is responsible for the crimes of his father. I am a big believer into doing upon others as you would have them do onto you. I am now trying to be as positive as possible in my current life but there was a lot of things that I had to do in order to get to this point.

If I had stolen like a hundred dollars from somebody and at present could not afford to pay them back entirely at least I would make an atempt and give them maybe $20 or $30 and I would let them know that when I am able I will try to pay them back more of what I owne them but for the present we have to at least make an effort.

No matter what you have done up until now, if you take responsibility for what you have done then you can move forward. If you aren't able to take complete responsibility then at least make an effort.