Commitment

So in today's world we demand excellence from everything and everyone in society.  We expect to have the best food at restaurants. We demand our utility services are unlimited and uninterrupted. We want our kids to have the best education and expect their teachers to be the most knowledgeable in their field. We demand that doctors can pin point our ailment with in five minutes of us walking in the door.  Needless to say, we want the up-most commitment from everyone that is to service us in this life. But do we have the same standards for ourselves? Do we cook our home meals to perfection every time?  Do we arrive at our jobs every day willing to give our best performance?  Do we give our kids our undivided attention, or even try to add to their education by reviewing homework and backing up the teacher's efforts? As a patient can you say that you follow the doctor's orders to the letter?  Sad to say, most will say no to some if not all these things.

There's this little thing in life called commitment.  Commitment is saying you will do things in life in spite of the circumstances that surround life.  If you believe in something strong enough you will commit to that thing without fail.  A life of commitment means that if you give your word to perform a task, you will do so no matter what mood you are in.  Commitment says that you will not only stand with your child when he wins a trophy, but you will give him your shoulder to cry on when he fails to accomplish a goal.  It's easy to be committed to your gorgeous, healthy wife.  Will you stay committed if she falls ill and has to be fed through a tube? Commitment requires you to be the same on the last day of a season as you were on the first.

Truthfully, commitment can only be proven in the hard times.  When things get rough is when some one's commitment is on full display.  There is a horrible cost to commitment.  You must give up your rights to self indulgence.  True commitment doesn't check for weather conditions. It doesn't give into moods.  Peer pressure is a non factor in commitment.  Compromise is the first sign of surrendering your commitment.  But realize this, commitment is a two way street.  If you can stand and deliver your commitments to others despite the storms and circumstances then your commitment will be returned to you.  Standing firm in your commitment earns you the loyalty, integrity, trust, and allegiance to all that see your dedication.

“The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

*Vince Lambardi

Stand the test of time and keep your commitments my friends.