Keeping your word

There is nothing I cannot stand more than people who do not keep their word. To me it appears to be a serious weakness in character and a disease that needs curing, if anything. My reasoning is it’s better to not say you will do something then do it than to say you will do it then not do it at all and for that reason I have vowed that I will look to the ends of the earth for a man or/and friend that can keep his word rather than settle for one that cannot. This notion has made me lose friends over weeks, days and sometimes even hours for often I cannot bear the betrayal I feel when someone does not keep their word to me. The one thing I have noticed is people trivialize this issue and when I do get upset about it they seem not to understand the severity of the matter to me.  I cannot speak for everyone but I think if you cannot deliver on small things how on earth will you deliver on big things? One of my favorite people in the world is my dad who I know I can always count on to keep his word, do things when he says he will, no matter how small, and give you all the feedback you will need if he is doing it for you and I will tell you now that there is no comforting feeling as that of knowing that somewhere in this world there is one human being you can rely on to keep their word.

Thinking about how passionately I feel about this topic I realized what a hypocrite I have been as I have been right at the top of the list as far as disappointing myself and not keeping my word is concerned. I have made huge creative plans, thought of interesting places to visit, books to write, films to make, amazing port folios, impressive business proposals and unforgettable motivational talks all in my head and not once delivered. I promised myself to accomplish things by a certain time only to realize five, ten years later those things are still unaccomplished and sometimes not even under commencement. If that is not weakness of character then I do not know what is. I remember one speaker at a youth camp ten years ago saying that the richest place on earth is the grave yard, for many die with plans and ideas unexplored and I remember thinking to myself that should an audit be taken on my grave it should be found to be the poorest for I should have exhausted all the potential within me. A decade later I am ashamed to say if I would die now, mine would still be a rich grave as I have not done much to see the things I vowed to myself come true.

My hope is that you never fall into the same predicament as me and at least learn to do things when and whilst you still can for tomorrow is not ours to own and neither yesterday but today is and there is much we can do with it if we let ourselves. Seize the day and release your potential, do all those things you promised yourself you would do. Keep your word to yourself before you can expect it of other people.

“Hon­esty is mak­ing your words con­form to real­ity. Integrity is mak­ing real­ity con­form to your words.” - Stephen Covey