Commitment. This can be a scary word. Everything we perceive is choice. Do you want commitment to be scary? Ok, it is. It does not have to be. The wisdom of thought leader Deepak Chopra is shared through his interpretation of the synchronicity and perfection of the Universe. He speaks about "uncertainty" as necessary to our growth, our evolution. Commitment is uncertain. We can't know how something will end. Or if it will end. Commitment is a choice, and how we perceive it is also a choice.
What if commitment was something you give to yourself? Some examples of this could include:
showing up as your best self, whatever that is, every day
living according to a moral code/values
telling the truth
self-love
sacred time alone
clean eating
exercise and movement that feels amazing in your body
sleeping well
hydration
smiling and laughing every day
Commitment can be as simple or as complicated as we choose. I think I committed to seeing the world as a beautiful and glorious place before I was even born. I marvel every day at how incredible our planet is and I cry tears of joy every day as I witness different aspects of nature. For the second time this summer and the second in my life, I had a graceful spider spin its web off my arm this week. I can only speak for myself - when a creature that small trusts me enough to connect in that way, well even I am at a loss for words. I know many people would have squished that spider out of fear or discomfort. I made a commitment, after working on banana farms in Australia many years ago and seeing so many beautiful spiders, to care for the arachnids that come across my path. Choice.
This week, I made a commitment to get back into an early morning schedule. I love waking up with the sun, imagining that we both stretch and reach for wakefulness together. This morning, I woke up before my alarm, while my part of the world was still dark. I crushed that commitment today. It felt so good to tiptoe downstairs and experience the quiet.
Just before dawn...
I stepped into my backyard and I could hear a hum. Movement. Nature. Wind. Rumble.
Seagulls began to get louder. As I looked up, the sky was bright pink. Red sky in morning...
What is that sound? Rain! I could hear the rhythm of the raindrops before they landed in my backyard. I suppose this is what meteorologists mean by a weather front. I watched the morning rain, a living organism, come closer, until I felt a few drops land on my skin.
What does this have to do with commitment?
I am reminded of some of the choices that landed me here. Letting go of some commitments, both from choice and not, allow me the time and space to be right here, right now.
There is theory and there is practice. Together, these teach us and have the potential to make an experience wholistic. I learned that from the profound teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. My commitments are many, and all tie back to living my truth. Within this, I have the space to mess up, make mistakes, experiment, explore, and be wild and free.
You are the author of your story. Like the splendid sunrise this morning, you are colourful, glorious. We all have the capacity to bring light into this world. It's a choice.
Looking at the commitments in your life, I encourage you to go inwards and discover what serves and what does not. It's not about being right or wrong or living your life the way I choose to live mine. It's about honouring yourself and uncovering your truth.
Think about these questions and write your answers in a journal or type them up:
What are my daily commitments? To myself? To others?
How do my commitments bring me joy? Frustration?
What do I hold most dear?
When I am upholding a commitment that is challenging, what emotions do I feel?
How can I best honour my personal truth, values, morals?
Commitment can be a strong word. An exciting word. A word with no charge at all. I find it exciting and each time I fulfill a commitment to myself, it energizes me.
Another of my recent commitments is to write every day...to fill my cup. To live my truth and to honour my wellness.
What are you willing to commit to today to care for your precious self?
