THE VALUE OF COMMITMENT

THE VALUE OF COMMITMENT

Commitment is the state or quality of dedicating oneself to a cause or an activity, and it implies a promise or a firm decision to be consistent with one’s intentions. It is associated to something we have agreed to do and carry out, and at times can refer to an unexpressed pledge to oneself to respect our promise. This is why, before accepting any kind of engagement, we need to understand the implications involved, and to accept them and embrace the sense and purpose of our commitment internally. This inner attitude and awareness will later facilitate one’s capacity to remain loyal to one’s obligations, though the circumstances may change, and become difficult and challenging for us. In such cases, it can become necessary to be flexible, to find a sense of balance with respect to one’s priorities and to reset our programmes, without forsaking the particular commitment we aim to fulfill.

Commitment and the 5 Human Values

To be faithful to one’s commitments can be burdensome, if one’s tasks and duties are unpleasant and disagreeable. Our motivation and conviction for giving our time, energy and heart to the scope of one’s commitment need to be strong, or else our resolve will soon cease to exist, with the result of interrupting and abandoning one’s responsibilities. It is chiefly Love that binds us to our commitment, building and sustaining it by kindling our dedication and its intrinsic quality of selflessness. It is love that reminds us that the fuel of our dedication is our deep yearning to carry out our duty, fulfill our promise and care for the wellbeing of others who count on our presence.

Such a strong devotion to duty springs from an inner source of Truth. Our sincere need to be true to our principles and words makes us determined to stay on track. So commitment comes when we realize the Truth and once the engagement is made it lasts forever and gives sense to our life. The more we do to carry out our commitment the more committed we become. By focusing on our core values and the goals we are committed to, we cultivate Self-confidence and experience feelings of satisfaction and inner Peace.  Should we face a difficulty in carrying out a task or assignment, by remaining calmly centered and connected to the reasons behind our commitment, we avoid making hasty decisions and losing sight of our long-term objectives.

Commitment is an aspect of Right Action. A full understanding of the meaning of our role (e.g. as a father, a mother, a teacher, a house wife, a business person, a priest, a doctor, etc.), is essential as it is the level of our awareness, which helps us take our responsibilities to heart and conform with them with unabridged presence. The capacity to be trustworthy, reliable and disciplined will be the result of the habit of fulfilling the commitments made. However, these and other qualities will reverse when we do not comply with our words or respect our promises. A lack of consistency mines our self-confidence, inner stability and morale and in the long run negatively affects others. This is why we can infer that the value of commitment is a powerful social skill as it promotes healthy interactions and right human relations. These in turn are the preconditions for the establishment of harmony and Nonviolence. The credibility we gain from showing commitment in every aspect of our life makes us into a valuable member of one’s family unit, working environment and Community at large.

This aspect of the value of Right Action is an expression of unconditional Love. It is the outcome of our quest for Truth, and it helps Peace and Nonviolence to be present. When one chooses to make a commitment out of free will it stays for a lifetime for nothing can give us more happiness and fulfilment than our commitment. When do we commit ourselves to a project? What makes us engage ourselves forever with something? It is when we feel totally in tune with it; when our heart, head and hands are in complete harmony; when there is a feeling of oneness that connects us with the object of our commitment, and mostly with the values therein.

How can we show commitment?

Commitment entails many qualities and human values. We can make our commitment visible by being:

1. responsible
2. punctual
3. loyal
4. a good team player
5. willing to serve others with love and selflessness
6. willing to take on active roles
7. careful about making a good use of resources (time, energy, money and natural resources)
8. and by putting a ceiling on our desires.
   

There are many levels of commitment. A beautiful story from the life of Mother Theresa, reminds us of the highest form of commitment that exists: commitment to the vow made towards our Conscience, the Voice of Divinity cherished in our hearts.

Once Mother Theresa was treating a wounded patient who was suffering from pain and fever. The wound was infected and smelled terribly. Nevertheless, she sat by his side with the utmost serenity and dedicated attention, lovingly nursing the wound. Two young men who were visiting her, and who had committed themselves to donate an important sum to her Community were flabbergasted when they saw with what selfless dedication she cared for the ill. When she left the patient’s room, the young men asked her how she could clean such a purulent and malodorous wound in such a caring and compassionate way. This was her reply: “I don’t understand what you are talking about. What was malodorous and purulent? I was only healing Jesus' wound.”

Mother Theresa’s Love for Jesus was so immense that she was able to see Him even in the poor and sick people she cared for. A similar attitude of devotion and unity with the deepest, inner truth within one’s heart, is the highest form of commitment and reminds us of the words of Sathya Sai: “Service of man is the only means by which you can serve GOD”.

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Let us finish our reflection on the value of Commitment by going over the 12^th sloka of the Bhagavad Gita, Sri in which Sri Krishna highlights the value of commitment as one of the most important traits a devotee can have. He says:

“Anapekshah śuchir daksha udāsīno gatavyathah sarvārambha parityāgī

yo madbhaktah sa me priyah” (Bh. G., 12.16)

which means:  "That devotee of Mine who expects nothing, is pure, skillful, detached, is free from affliction and performs every undertaking with commitment, is very much loved by Me". Sathya Sai,  20.11.90

INSPIRING QUOTES ON COMMMITMENT:

“Commitment is what transforms a promise into a reality”.

- Abraham Lincoln

“Commitment is what locks the doors of imagination, allows vision and gives us the right stuff to transform our dream into a reality”.

- James Womack

“Once you have commitment, you need the discipline and hard work to get you there.”                                   

– Haile Gebrselassie

“It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.”

– Zig Ziglar

“Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

– Vince Lombardi

“There’s always a way – if you’re committed.”                                                                                                       

– Tony Robbins