Lack of Commitment

There was a clear lack of commitment when that did not get done, they divorced, the project was late, she resigned, he was downsized, it got out of control, she did not graduate.

It is easy to judge. The truth is we do not have enough information to judge others when it comes to commitment. There are valid reasons to break commitments. There are examples of a lack of commitment also. We rarely have enough information to judge.

Commitment is a challenge to our own personal integrity. Only we can determine the level of commitment we had in our heart when results did not come. Focusing on personal responsibility to commit and to determine if lack of our personal commitment was a factor in an outcome is the only true way to address commitment.

A major issue for commitment is time. Are we only obligated to commit in the beginning? Are we free to cease commitment because of what we see? Are we poised to remove ourselves if we suspect ”they” are not committed? Commitment implies a dedication from start to finish, no matter what, barring unacceptable behavior or obstacles. The weakness in our English language implies we commit at the beginning, continue to commit if circumstances warrant, and declare we were commited if results are successful.

We will have discovered on our joyful pursuit of happiness commitment is a delicate balance of doing what it takes, no matter what, and of coming to believe it is time to bow out. Taking this lightly, blaming others and/or circumstances for the reason to bow out can lead to a series of paths of regret.

Faith and Commitment

There are multiple definitions of both faith and commitment. One meaning of each follows and are the meanings intended for the discussion:

Commitment - The state of being bound emotionally and/or intellectually to a course of action or to another person or persons.

Faith - Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

Choices we make can be a single action, repeated actions leading to our behaviors, or a character trait to develop. We make choices just for today, and choices that last weeks, years, perhaps a lifetime. When we do not complete a course of action, turn an idea into reality, stay married, maintain a long-term friendship, keep a promise, or continue a healthy habit; we give reasons specific to the situation.

We humans tend toward being out of balance on this. Many of us tend toward justifying our every choice, action, and behavior. Many of us do the opposite. We tell ourselves we have been mostly wrong in our life with our actions and our relationships.

We will have discovered on our joyful pursuit of happiness, the truth is we either lost our faith or became no longer committed, or both. Sometimes it is the best path to take; sometimes it is not. We must be fine with that. Learning and growing from these experiences and building our integrity is the high road.

Character Traits

Papaw Arthur’s top ten character traits, in alphabetical order,  are:

• Balance
• Empathy
• Faithfulness
• Humility
• Integrity
• Kindness
• Peace of Mind
• Perseverance
• Respectfulness
• Responsibility

Integrity

As we go along our life journey, we will have discovered building personal integrity is the most powerful trait to possess and the one we have the most control over.

Integrity is about being honest with ourselves. It is about striving to a firm adherence to a code of lofty moral values. High personal integrity creates trustworthiness by standing true to a responsibility or pledge.

Perfect integrity is not reachable on this earth. The journey is to grow forward in knowing oneself, being honest with oneself, building a strong personal moral code, acting in accordance with one’s code and one’s word, and admitting one’s mistakes. Making the same mistakes over and over does not build integrity.  

Building high personal integrity will help make the road smoother to a joyful pursuit of happiness.

Maturity

 Maturity involves being honest and true to oneself, making decisions based on a conscious internal process, assuming responsibility for one’s decisions, having healthy relationships with others, and developing one’s own true gifts. It involves thinking about one’s own environment and deciding what one will and won’t accept.

                                                                 Mary Pipher

http://www.marypipher.net/

This is a roadsign for our journey to a joyful pursuit of happiness.