Driving to work today, I watched as a blue van straddled the lane line, not quite sure where he wanted to be, and as I watched, it hit me!  Here is tonight’s blog topic!

Commitment!!!

Wow!  I typed that statement early in the day and it seems it drew tons of inspiration as the day progressed.

My original intention was to talk about the many things we commit (or don’t) to.  Whether it’s a lane on the freeway, a healthy breakfast instead of a donut, or a promise to a loved one.  The list is infinite.  What is also infinite is the number of ways people will avoid committing.

But as I said, the Universe had its own ideas.

As I spoke with people today, some were showing gratitude for commitments they’d made which were showing results.  My friend Helen was very pleased that she was losing weight and had made a commitment to herself to reach small goals along the way instead of trying to look at the whole task ahead of her.  She was feeling very successful because she had so many milestones along the way that it took only a little effort to reach the next one.

Another friend was complaining that she couldn’t lose weight (yes, there seemed to be a theme today.  Maybe it’s because of summer?) and I suggested to her that she pick one habit to form and work on it for a month.  Once it was up and running and no longer needed regular maintenance, she could pick another habit and repeat the process.  I’m hoping she’ll be as successful as Helen is!

Of course, work provides numerous opportunities to both form habits and make commitments!  As I work for a small company, we are all forever taking on new responsibilities because there are only so many of us to absorb what needs to get done, and that list is constantly changing!

As I watched the van vascillate over which lane he wanted to occupy, I gave some thought to the commitments I’ve made lately.

(here comes another of my lists)
1. I committed to blogging daily.
2. I committed to resuming work on my book.
3. I committed to eating healthier
4. I committed to making my breakfasts and lunches in advance to I could just grab and go in the mornings.
5. I committed to going back to the gym.
6. I committed to falling in like with my job. (and I have to say, this one has worked out much better than I could ever have dreamed!)
7. I’ve committed to keeping my house decluttered.
8. I’ve committed to being more diligent about keeping the sandboxes cleaned out.
9. I’ve committed to holding positive thoughts and vibrations.
10. I’ve committed to pursuing my passion.

I also have things I want to commit to in the future.
1. Finishing my kitchen.
2. Getting the vanity and toilet installed in my bathroom and fixing the bathtub/shower.
3. Getting a new architect and reviewing the plans for my remodel to see how they can be simplified and improved.
4. Getting rid of the pod in my front yard.
5. Learning how to install or fix some of the things myself.
6. Writing more and analyzing less.
7. Increasing the amount of time I spend at the gym.
8. Working on my yard.
9. Adding more philanthropic activities to my life.
10. Publishing and promoting the first of many books.

I look at the first list and congratulate myself on making so many commitments which are taking me further along my path.  I look at the second and see how many other things I have yet to pursue, but which wouldn’t even be possible without the commitments I’ve already made.

It’s true that the longest journey begins with a single step, but it is just as true that the largest task begins with a single commitment.

I’ve discovered that the key is to start with something fairly simple with a high probability of success.  Each success achieved makes the next task less daunting, even if it is really of much greater difficulty because, now, proof of prior success makes us braver, stronger and more confident.

Getting a few of the larger miracles under our belts allows us to begin traveling the path which will lead us to where we aren’t afraid to embark on much of anything because we continually remind ourselves that we can succeed.  The only variable is our own willingness to put forth the effort.

Let me clarify something though.  Success doesn’t mean that you get it right the first time, every time.  It means that if something doesn’t quite work out as planned, you take a step back, determine whether you still want to achieve the original plan or if it’s time to make a new plan and keep pushing ahead, but towards the new plan which emerged as you learned from mistakes made in trying to achieve the old plan.  The plan may change dozens of times before you reach the one that works out, but each lesson, each setback, each re-evaluation is a success of its own because you take what you’ve learned thus far, put it together in a different way, and begin another lesson.  Sometimes, the success is simply the lesson learned, and by keeping our eye on the baby steps along the way, you arrive at the successful completion of the plan sooner than you expected, although that completion may look nothing like the original plan at all!

Oftentimes, it is really not the goal that is important, but the successes you found on the road to that goal!  In fact, what I’ve found lately is that sometimes we don’t even realize that the end result is not the true goal.  What we’re really working to achieve is community, connectedness, and our place in the overall scheme of things.

I think the biggest thing I’ve achieved over the last few months has been a greater understanding of the people around me; a greater respect for those who used to frustrate me, and, best of all, more inner peace!

The Universe works in its own way.  We set intentions and raise our vibrations so that we exude abundance rather than lack, but at the end of the day, the Universe gives us what we need as opposed to what we believe we want!

In my own, humble experiences, I can’t honestly say that this is a bad thing.  Every delay, every redirection, every change in plans has always worked out better than what I originally envisioned.  Every time I find myself setting something aside for awhile, I find, down the road a ways, that I needed to set it aside until I had gained other experiences which would help me work with the tool better.

I think what it boils down to is that there are really no mistakes, but simply opportunities to prepare ourselves to use our tools, our talents and our opportunities more effectively.

My gratitudes tonight are:
1. I am grateful that the Universe doesn’t always give me what I think I want.
2. I am grateful for small successes.
3. I am grateful that I’m learning to make commitments, little by little, to what is truly important for me.
4. I am grateful for hot, sweaty, high energy dance nights.
5. I am grateful for a new habit that is forming which gives me more and better sleep at night.

Love and light.