After all the illusions of instant superstardom subside, the need for and even the dependence on team support sets in. The realization hit me one game that I was nothing without my team, and that my best days in baseball were when I gave my team my best, and contributed to us moving forward. Sure, I wanted to always hit a home run when I went to the plate, but I realized that just connecting with the ball and getting a base hit, even aiming to get the ball down and bunt to advance runners even if I was thrown out, was better than striking out trying to hit home runs. I learned the responsibility of being focused on my team first, and my responsibility to stay in good shape, stay healthy and most of all, stay focused while playing in the infield. So many management writers today write about when things are going well, team dynamics kick in and everyone on the team is "loose" and "going with the follow." Yet it's been my experience that even in the midst of a losing season, that when a team collectively feels this responsibility to each other, there is still hope of winning. When everyone has a responsibility of performance to each...

That responsibility to a team still is very strong in me today; and I still feel the responsibility to a team and honestly get mad if I see others who are not giving their total effort to a team.
The responsibility of being true to my own passions was something that was the hardest part of responsibility to learn. The challenge of rejecting what everyone else wanted me to be and selecting an area I was passionate about took courage and focus on choosing then pursuing my own goals. The responsibility of making these goals a reality was also the toughest of work when it came to the responsibilities I'm continually learning about. The responsibility of being true to what I think is one of my strengths, and fulfilling them through school and work takes a continual reinforcing and focus.

In summary, responsibilities are best viewed through the lenses of lessons learned, because responsibilities are truly relevant in the context of other life lessons as well. Of all the responsibilities, I'd say the responsibilities to teams, and to being true to my own passions are the two most powerful responsibilities in my life today.