Commitment

Male emperor penguin keeping its egg warm in arctic temperatures

          Commitment sounds like a word that should be lumped together with terms like ‘trudge’ and ‘onerous.’ Yet what it asks of us is more than repaid in the benefits it offers. Commitment provides traction – it enables us to move forward rather than slipping back. Recovery doesn’t allow us to stand still because life doesn’t; we’re constantly forced to adapt or change. The tools we learn (principles and practices) aren’t just for getting us successfully up one mountain, but for training us to become skilled climbers and hikers for wherever life takes us. We continue to live by the spiritual principles of honesty, open-mindedness, willingness, and humility. We are vigilant in practicing self-examination. If our emotions grab us by the scruff of the neck, we pause and question the logic of our thoughts and the motives behind our actions. When we are at fault, we make amends promptly. Our self-centered habit of running from responsibility is replaced by the intention to make different, more self-less choices. We slowly develop integrity (“the state of being whole or undivided”) because the principles we hold begin to match our behavior.

Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose – and commit myself to – what is best for me. 

~ Paulo Coelho

For more information on commitment, see this post.