The Commitments We Make Today Will Be with Us Tomorrow
Make wise commitments, especially at a young age, and then honor these throughout life.
By Colleen K Pulley
I was going through some old files and came upon some handwritten notes taken at a church youth conference when I was about sixteen. The notes had been written in pencil and were beginning to fade. As I read the speeches, I was taken back to the time I hurriedly scribbled down the ideas.
I remembered the speakers were men and women who wanted us to make commitments then that would make our lives more successful. This conference came at a pivotal time in my life. I turned some of those speeches into guideposts for my life. The ideas covered are just as relative today as they were back then.
I thought about how my commitments then influenced the things I accomplished in my life. They were the guideposts which I accepted before I began making important decisions that would impact the rest of my life. They helped me avoid serious mistakes. They allowed me to see above the trees and see the forest. I am so grateful I stood by those concepts. An important thing to remember is that success is based upon the dictionary you use to define it.
Many things are facades, or they appear to be what they aren’t. They are the false front. The stairs that the actress hurries down from the cardboard mansion in the background. They give the appearance of reality but aren’t the real thing. Many people have lives that are supported by weak foundations, and fake fronts. Then when the trials and storms of life hit them, they crumble and fall. Their life wasn’t built to endure. As the support falls, so does the individual who put their trust in it.
It is fortunate, when someone has made a serious mistake, that they are given the chance to rebuild their lives. If they are surrounded by others who offer a helping hand, they may be able to correct the mistakes they have made. It will be difficult, but the person tomorrow will be a better individual than the person yesterday.
I realize how fortunate I was that I stopped along life’s way as a sixteen-year-old and scribbled down those notes at a youth conference. I have tried to ensure that those principles have been included in the talks I have had with my own children, as well as the individuals I have worked with over the years.
I feel grateful when during a speech by me, I observed an individual hurriedly scribbling down notes about making commitments. Later the individual told me how glad they were that they listened to what I said, and it changed what they did. They built their foundations on a rock. There were no fake stairs, cardboard mansions, or facades with false appearances.
Remember this: Your life will be richer and more satisfying when you build it on solid principles and values. It will fill you with abundant happiness because of your commitment to live it with honesty and integrity.
To your continued and future happiness.... Just something to think about. Until later, Colleen
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