Don't Let Words Control You | Personal Responsibility
Words can really hurt. However, we shouldn’t allow other people’s words to hurt or control us. That also means we should be using words that help people and that don’t hurt them. That's called personal responsibility.
Watch the video and have a discussion with your class or someone you know. Below, there are some suggested questions or writing prompts.
Have you heard the children’s rhyme that says,
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”?
I don’t know about that. Words can really hurt. However, we shouldn’t allow other people’s words to hurt or control us. That also means we should be using words that help people and that don’t hurt them.
I like quotes and I use them to help people remember important life lessons. One of my favorite quotes says,
“When you make better choices you will live a better life, so choose well. Oh yeah!”
This quote is about having personal responsibility. Your choices matter. If you make poor choices, you will likely have poor outcomes. But if you make better choices, you will have better outcomes. Personal responsibility is important. Take ownership of yourself and the things around you.
I grew up in the hood, and when I say hood, I mean hood. I saw someone get murdered on my front lawn. Because of the area that I lived, I took a bus to go to school in the suburbs. There were predominantly white students and staff at the school.
I tell you this to explain something that I learned: people are people.
There are white people that are nice and there are white people that are not nice. There are black people that are nice and there are black people that are not nice. Skin color has nothing to do with who people are on the inside. No matter how people behave around you, you have the choice to take responsibility for your own life. You get to choose that. No one chooses for you.
I didn’t have my dad at home to teach me how to be a man. He abandoned us and was off doing his own thing. But I can’t blame him for how my life turned out. In fact, I feel sorry for my dad because he missed out on raising a great son.
I learned a lot about responsibility from my mom. My mom had strict rules and she worked really hard outside the home. Because my mom worked, we had a lot of chores around the house and I had to do my homework.
Sometimes I would watch T.V. after school instead of doing my chores and homework like I was supposed to. Pretty soon, mama would be home and I hadn’t done anything I was supposed to. She would be mad and then I would be mad because she was mad. Who’s fault was it? It was mine.
Soon, I figured something out. I started coming home from school and jumping right on my homework and chores. Mama wasn’t mad when she got home. This built a foundation for trust.
When I got older and had my driver’s license, my mom would let me go where I wanted because she trusted me. As long as I was responsible, told her where I was going and when I’d be back, she trusted me to take the car. Taking ownership of yourself and being responsible creates trust.
Some people will tell you that you won’t achieve certain things because of the color of your skin. That is a lie. It’s your choices that determine what you are able to do with your life. It comes down to personal responsibility.
What will you choose to do in your life? Use what you’ve got to make the most of what you have.
Questions for Discussion:
Do you agree that words can hurt? Why or why not?
What does it mean to not let other people’s words hurt or control us?
What does it mean to use words that help other people? Give some examples.
One of my favorite quotes says, “When you make better choices you will live a better life, so choose well. Oh yeah!” Do you agree that better choices mean that you can have a better life? Why or why not?
What do you think of the statement that says, “people are people”?
Do you agree that people don’t behave in certain ways just because of the color of their skin? Why or why not?
Do you blame other people for some things in your life? Why or why not?
What are things that you have control over or can make choices for?
Can you blame people for the choices you make? Why or why not?
Do you agree that taking personal responsibility for your actions builds trust with others? Why or why not?
Do you think that you can only achieve certain things if you have a particular skin color? Why or why not?
What does it mean to use what you’ve got to make the most of what you have?
