Commit (Repost from 03/2022)
What does it mean to commit?
According to the Oxford Dictionary (my favorite dictionary), commit means “pledge or bind (a person or an organization) to a certain course or policy”. During our lives, we use this word, frequently, in fact, but may not have used it in the context of self. We talk about how we commit to our partners, our jobs, our families, and our friends, but so seldom talk about how we commit to ourselves. Why is that?
What I have found over the course of my lifetime (50 years at this point) is that we are told that it is “selfish” to take care of ourselves before taking others into consideration. We are given messages about being the protector of others, being our brother’s keeper, being a hero to our friends and family, and so on. However, occasionally, these feats of strength and commitment to others leave us feeling empty and uncared for. Truth be told, not everyone gives the same way that we do.
We live in a world that has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. We are inundated with information. We have all means of communication with others. However, this leads us to comparison thinking, and for those of us that are of a giving heart, it triggers us to feel selfish when we see that others are in a different place than we are. We may decide to go minimal in an effort to appear less materialistic. We may decide to get the newest vehicle to avoid being looked down upon. But does any of that really feed your inner self? If it does, good job. If it doesn’t, I want you to look at your commitment to yourself. Are you spending your energy in service of someone else or are you doing it for yourself?
Committing to self takes work. It is difficult to make changes. It is difficult to change those messages that tell us that it is selfish to have desires and chase your dreams.
One of the best things that my father ever told me was, “Take care of #1. No one else is going to do it for you.” I have been called some very ugly things for embodying this message. The funny thing is that most of the people that have said these things return to me and ask if I can show them how to be self-loving, self-worthy, and self-confident. Despite being hurt by their words and actions, I have been obliged to lead them into the world of self.
So, to wrap up, how are you showing your commitment to yourself? What are you going to do today that feeds YOUR soul, YOUR dreams, and YOUR life?
Much Love, T.
