The Art Of (Re)Commitment

Many of us have goals in mind that we have not yet managed to bring into fruition. It is all too easy to berate ourselves for these unrealized goals, to think that these instances were due to a lack of commitment on our part. However, I am going to argue for the contrary. Our missteps are not a sign of a lack of commitment. Often times, we don't meet our goals because we are simply committed to other things, even if these other commitments we hold are subconscious in nature. 

Subconscious commitments will always prevail over our well-intended conscious commitments. This is due to the fact that while our conscious mind may be riding shotgun, the subconscious mind is the one driving the car. Mr. Conscious mind can put in a request to bring someone on board but if Mrs. Subconscious doesn't want a stranger in her car, the odds of her stopping in time to allow this person in the backseat are not good. 

For instance, if a person is consciously committed to becoming financially free but they subconsciously believe that money is the root of all evil, achieving financial freedom will prove to be a difficult task. This subconscious distrust of money will repel any potential forms of prosperity that come-a-knocking. Thus prior to honing in on a particular commitment, it will prove helpful for us to first weed out any subconscious oppositions we may have towards that goal. 

It is important that I elaborate further upon what the act of commitment entails. Commitment is often portrayed as something that is either black or white-- we are either committed or we are not. 

The problem with this portrayal is that life is neither black or white. There is no such thing as a linear path towards success. We humans try out things, we fall down and rise again and again and again. Commitment isn't about zeroing in on an end goal and never wavering until we hit this target dead center. No. In reality, many of us are going to check our phones and get sidetracked by a tumbleweed blowing across the road. That's okay.

The value of commitment comes from the act of recommitting, of falling and rising again and again and again. Rather than judging our actions upon how little we falter, perhaps we can instead gauge success according to how quickly we get back up after falling down.

Amanda,

Conscious Ink Staffer  

Amanda Brown is a wellness blogger and a member of the Conscious Ink Team at our home office in Bend, OR. She is passionate about helping people find peace with where they are at while pursuing their best, most fulfilling lives. For more of her work, you can head over to her blog at www.liminalwellness.com.