I have a dear friend that repeats this mantra to me over and over, and it has become a voice I cannot ignore. I can't tell you how many times I have cancelled plans, or blown off things I said I would do, or just failed to follow through on something. I know I still do it. I just realized today that I told my brother I would pick up something from his house and it completely slipped my mind; however, I do this much less than I used to. Before I would consciously choose not to do or complete things that I had said I would, but now if it doesn't happen it is because I truly forgot.
It seems this world we live in is full of broken promises, promises to write or keep in touch or to help with something that never comes to fruition. I used to be the queen of broken promises, but through my friend I have learned that this is no way to live or be a genuine person. I used to live in fear of people relying on me because I feared I would let them down. To combat this I would let them down on purpose so they would learn not to rely on me....yes, I did. I know that this is no way to live.
I challenge you, all my readers to think before you make a promise or even a casual statement of good intentions. Follow through is something I was never good at, but I have learned to make it a priority and that has made all the difference for me in my life. I no longer intentionally make promises I know I will likely not keep. I may disappoint more people initially, but in the long run I am doing them and myself more of a favor than if I make a promise that will never come true.
How old are you? This is wisdom not learned by by most people even into their old age.
ReplyDeleteMy kids often ask me: "Tomorrow, can I do (whatever activity they're hoping I'll commit to in advance)?" and I almost always tell them "You'll have to ask me tomorrow." I learned many years ago that I cannot commit to something in advance unless I'm 100% certain I'll be able to follow through. And with my health issues, I can't make promises too often - I don't always know what tomorrow will be like for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm the opposite of Veronica when it comes to the kids...I like to plan and require 24 hours notice or it's an automatic no! But this is not what the blog was about...
ReplyDeleteI agree, do what you say you will. This can be applied to MANY areas in life, whether they be social engagements, promises to help, or consequences for children. There are times when circumstances cause us to not fulfill...life happens...but I agree that we all should strive to only say we will do what we can actually fulfill. This is something I work on myself. It's not always easy being a grown up, but we've got to do it most days!