Committing
Recently I have been pondering this word "commitment." It is a big deal when you decide to commit to something or someone. I think that commitment can expose a persons character not just by whether or not they follow through with their commitments but also by what they are committing to. Growing up I was always taught that if you make a commitment to something, then you make every effort to follow through even if things are not going as planned. I was recently talking to my father and he told me that my generation has no clue of what true commitment is! We are all part of the fast food generation and the internet era, which means we are used to having instant gratification. It is very true that some of us have a terrible work ethic and we feel that things should just happen for us because we "deserve" the best and not because we have earned the best. I was recently in Portland and I was talking with a friend of mine about what he thinks his future holds. He told me that he is committed to his wife and making sure that she is happy and always taken care of. It is funny because he said it while she was standing there and she looked at me and said that is why I married him because I know at the end of the day he is committed to me and he will always look out for my best interest. She said it is rare to find a guy with that kind of commitment to somebody elses well being. She started complaining about a cat she once had for 6 years and my friend made her get rid of it. She said that was the hardest thing she had ever done because she really loved that cat but she said she was committed to my friend and she would not let anything come between her commitment to him. Talking with them about their relationship, I started to see that when a person makes a commitment to something or someone then they are also willing to make some sacrifices for that commitment.
I recently purchased a trumpet and started taking lessons every Monday and Tuesday nights. I told myself that I am going to commit to becoming a professional trumpet player. I have been talking about playing an instrument for years and I finally just told myself quit talking and take action so I went to the music store and bought a trumpet and signed up for lessons and boom, I am committed. I think it is very important that if you say you are going to do something you make sure you make an effort to complete the task that you have set out to complete. I understand that sometimes things do not work out because of various factors but it is very important that you make a tried and true effort to complete your commitments. I know people that will make all kinds of commitiments and have no intention of completing any of them and then feel sorry for themselves because they think life should be easy. For those people life will catch up to you and when it does, it will not be a pretty picture.
At the end of the day we only have to answer to ourselves and our morals. You know who you are when you look in the mirror. I was raised by not perfect parents but great parents because when I see how some people are I thank my parents for raising me with some values or respect and common decency. I have met and spent time with people who could be classified as straight up evil because they have the ability to hurt others and not give a dam about what they have done. They make no effort to follow through with their commitments because it makes them uncomfortable to have to deal with any kind of drama so it is easier to act like a coward and run in the other direction.
So next time you make a commitment to something or someone make sure you are willing to give a hundred percent, if not then why waste your time. It is easy to sit on the sideline and talk all day about what you should do or what you will do but at a point you will have to take action. There is no guarantee that when we commit to something it is going to succeed but at the end of the day you can at least be proud of yourself because you gave it your all. I know for myself, I will only commit to certain things that I feel are worth it. I have in the past committed to things that did not deserve two seconds of my time but as life goes you live and you learn!
- blacklion's blog
- Login or register to post comments