Ability to respond does not mean ability to succeed.  There is no guarantee that what you do will yield what you want.  The guarantee is that as long as you are alive and conscious, you can respond to your circumstances in pursuit of your happiness.

Being human is being response-able.

Unconditional response-ability is self-empowering.  It lets you focus on those aspects of the situation that you can influence.  When you play cards, you have no control over the hand you are dealt.  If you spend all your time complaining and making excuses for your cards, you will feel disempowered and will most likely lose the game.  But if you see yourself as having a choice in how to play those cards, your feelings will change.  You will have a sense of possibility.  Even if you don’t win, you can always do your best with the cards you’ve got.

Response-ability is not guilt.  You are not responsible for your circumstances; you are response-able in the face of your circumstances.

Response-ability is the source of power and integrity, the power to influence your situation and the integrity to do so in alignment with your values.