COMMITMENT IS EVERYTHING

A word that has been coming up in many of my conversations recently has been ‘commitment’.

Commitment to going in all in.

I see it in the people around me, the clients I serve, and those on the leadership programmes I deliver. And the correlation between the level of commitment and the level of progress, self-awareness, learning and results is clear to me. Those who wholeheartedly commit see that progress requires us to embrace the journey and everything that it asks of us. The journey is the destination.

The commitments people make can take many forms:

To mastery

To growth

To embracing discomfort

To learning

To asking ourselves difficult questions

To experimentation and trying new things.

?And the commitments can be manifest in how we choose to show up. Whether that is to speak up more, to take more risks, to create healthier boundaries, or to follow through on what we said we would do. The list can go on. When we hold ourselves to account and are honest with where we are not showing up in integrity with how we want to create ourselves (as our favourite selves), we are gifted the opportunity to acknowledge where hesitation or fear is drawing us back. And from that place, have the courage to re-commit.

Life is a contact sport, and when we go all in, we can transcend old patterns, fears, and insecurities. After all, we only get one shot at this thing called life.

I often share this classic quote in full:

“But when I said that nothing had been done I erred in one important matter. We had definitely committed ourselves and were halfway out of our ruts. We had put down our passage money--booked a sailing to Bombay. This may sound too simple, but is great in consequence. Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!”

W.H. Murray

I love this quote. It is all about 'putting our passage money down'. I read it regularly. It reminds me that I can always go a step further in:

·????? Creating powerful and meaningful experiences for my clients: to serve, serve and serve some more.

·????? To go above and beyond in the design, planning and delivery of my workshops and programmes.

·????? To being the partner, family member, friend and community member I wish to be.

Where are you holding back?

What would an all-in commitment to what you want do for you? How would you show up differently as a result?

And if you are already committed, where could you bring an ounce more to the areas where you know you could bring more personal power, service and integrity?

Thank you for reading.

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