The Responsibility Project

 

Did you ever see that television commercial about people doing nice things for strangers? In it, each time a nice thing or a good deed was done someone else would pay it forward. The commercial was from Liberty Mutual, and they received a lot of feedback from people thanking them for the commercial. Recently they took the idea one step further by creating The Responsibility Project.

The Responsibility Project was created in the hopes that if more people actually thought about accepting responsibility and doing the right thing that the world might become a better place. Quoting the Responsibility Project website, “We believe that the more people think and talk about responsibility, the more the world becomes a better place.” The project site showcases short 3-10 minute videos portraying regular people in different situations acting responsibly and choosing to do the right thing. The site also offers discussion guides and a blog, as well as a section that helps you determine what your own responsibility policy is.

One of my favorite videos was Mandy and Lester. It showcases a child knowing what the right thing is to do and having the determination to get it done despite the fact that it is challenging and difficult. A video that both TJ and I really enjoyed was GrowingUp, which is a combination of four stories. TJ was impressed by Chase’s story. Jenna’s story brought me to tears. Another video TJ and I both enjoyed was Hot Seat. I have seen situations like that happen firsthand, having worked in a call center full of cubicles for more than ten years. It is so true, nobody ever fesses up. (It’s also why I put my initials on my chair to this day.)

It is never to early to learn responsibility. We as parents must be responsible and teach our children right from wrong, to have ethics and values, and that doing the right thing is important. There is no age limit on taking responsibility. It’s something we should all learn as children, carry into our adult lives and teach to our children so that the cycle can keep repeating. The world would be a much better place if we all acted responsibly. If every person performed a single random act of kindness that would be amazing as well. The Responsibility Project would be a great website for parents to let their children spend some time on. It has the type of content that could provoke some interesting conversation. It will hopefully get people to take a look at themselves and decide what kind of person they want to be or if the person they are is who they want to be.

Thanks to MomCentral for letting me know about The Responsibility Project.

Tags: responsibility, values

Category: Family, Life