If someone asks you for something and you promise that you will do it, do you follow through on that promise? My guess is that a high percentage of people would answer yes to that question. We all grow up hearing from our parents and teachers that if we make a promise to someone, we shouldn’t break it. We will do what needs to be done to ensure we don’t break the promise.
When we give people our word that we will do something for them and then we do it, our credibility goes up, but if we don’t do it our credibility goes down. What we say and do has a big impact on how others view us as being trustworthy. In the book: “The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz, he talks about being “impeccable with your word.” This means that you should be speaking with integrity and saying only what you mean.
This is a pretty powerful way to look at promises that you make with others. How about promises that you make to yourself? Do you keep those too? Many people would probably say no. They will put their job, their family and friends as the priority instead of themselves. They will break promises to themselves to do something for someone else. Aren’t you more important than other people? If you don’t make yourself a priority, then who will?
Keeping the promises to yourself allows you to take care of what you need to do for yourself first and then give to others with what you have left to give. You need to focus on your own energy, health and happiness as a priority. Starting today, make yourself 1 or 2 promises each day. You have to actually keep them, so don’t just say anything that you won’t actually do. Making yourself a priority sets a good example for others and shows that you value yourself. It will amaze you when you start to make changes in your life and start accomplishing things…all because you made yourself a promise to do them and kept it.