Do You Keep Your Promises?

"Don't make excuses - make good." ~ Elbert Hubbard

When you make a promise to someone, you make a commitment to that individual. You can make this promise in two ways: with full intention of keeping the commitment, or as a way of dismissing glibly with no intention of keeping the commitment. Do you keep your promise?

If you keep your promise, you will be seen as one who has integrity. And if you don't keep your commitments (many parents disappoint their children like this) you will develop the aura of one who can't be trusted. It takes a full awareness each time you say "I will....(fill in the blanks.)" I think it's not wise to simply say something without intentionally meaning to actually follow through and do what you said you would do.

It is even more insidious if we have sublimated decisions that we have made - that we have allowed to become buried inside our minds. For example, if your parent disappointed you, you may have decided to never be trusting with those who say they love you. You may have long forgotten the incident itself, but you might be unconsciously living out your earlier decision and ruining your current relationships!

It's difficult to consciously, visually see what decisions we may have made at a younger age that are having a negative effect now. One of the ways I get by this kind of thing is to ask myself frequently "How old was I when I made that decision?" I'm often surprised at the young age that comes up as an answer to that question! So I then ask myself "Do you think you might come to a different decision now that you have more information? What might that new decision be?" This is an effective way to clear up old decisions that no longer serve you well.

Consider this when you next say "I will....." Do you mean it, or are you just sloughing someone off? Would you like to be seen as one whose word is his bond, one who will honor a commitment? Or do you not care that when you don't keep them, you will be viewed as someone whose word cannot be trusted?

Integrity and commitment go hand in hand. If you have an old habit of not keeping your commitments, would you like to ask yourself what specific fears or doubts have kept that habit in place? Would you like to see if you can step out of that old rut into a fresh, new path and actually Be the Change?

Gently ask yourself for permission to change, because unless you do, you are holding yourself back from experiencing the greatness of what is good in this life. You can go to those with whom you did not keep your promise and ask for their forgiveness. You can even ask for their help to remind you about the new habit you are trying to form.

You are as good as your word. Make a commitment to let that be your motivation going forward. I wish you great success.