Originally posted 2011-04-19 08:45:30.
Commitments are powerful. They are life transforming. When you commit to doing something, doors open and paths appear. When you commit in word and action, people appear to support you in your quest. Commitment leads to change. Decide what you are committed to and your life will change in that direction.
What is a commitment? Merriam-Webster, an Encyclopedia Britannica Company, defines commitment as “an agreement or pledge to do something in the future.” I like this definition because it does not include “obligation,” “financial risk,” or “emotional promise.” It is merely an agreement or pledge that you willingly and noncoercively have decided to do.
A true commitment involves a sense of “No matter what.”
No matter what happens, I will continue eating less food or specific food as required by this diet.
No matter how I feel, I will exercise several days for at least one hour every week.
No matter how my partner responds, I will maintain my own state of equilibrium and reduce my own stress.
No matter how much money I make, I will manage my bills and save a specific amount each month.
No matter how long it takes, I will develop the required skills and learn how to….
No matter how I feel, I will find a way to be happy in any given circumstance.
Happiness is a mental state. It is built on internal, not external, realities. Regardless of the external circumstances, we can choose to be happy in any given moment. In fact, there is a system known as the “Science of Happiness,” which seeks to apply the scientific method to determine what happiness is and how we might attain it. Wikipedia cites a quote from Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihaly “We believe that a psychology of positive human functioning will arise that achieves a scientific understanding and effective interventions to build thriving in individuals, families, and communities.” The goal of this scientifically derived, positive psychology, is to enable others to thrive, not to just survive.
What would it be like for you to make a commitment to happiness? Do you believe you can actually make the choice and decide to be happy? Can you make this choice into an actual commitment? Can you decide that you are committed to being happy, no matter what lemons life might present you with?
Once you truly make a commitment, any commitment, the universe has a way of first showing you the opposite of what you are striving for. That means, you will be tested and you may be tempted to give up and forget your dream. But if you hang in there, hold on to your commitment – no matter what – miracles may happen. And you may find yourself so happy, most of the time, that you never believed such happiness was possible.
Are you willing to make a commitment to happiness?
