What It Means to Be Committed
How Commitment Relates to Success
May 11, 2009 Amina Cisse Muhammad
true commitment – to anyone or anything – often appears to be a thing of the past. However, if one were to take a look at highly successful individuals, their firmness of commitment to the things they consider important is typically cited as the key ingredient in their success.
From former and current political leaders, to top-ranking corporate executives and entrepreneurs, to therapists and life coaches – there is considerable discussion about the importance of commitment in achieving both personal and professional success.
The question is, what exactly is commitment?
A review of relationship and success-building literature reveals a number of definitions; two insightful ones are:
- Commitment is doing a thing long after you’ve felt what you felt when you said you were going to do it;
- It is what transforms a promise into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions. And the actions which speak louder than the words. It is making the time when there is none. Coming through time after time after time, year after year after year. Commitment is the stuff character is made of; the power to change the face of things. It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism (commonly attributed to Abraham Lincoln or Shearson Leahman of American Express).
A Powerful Demonstration of Commitment
Children’s books often provide profound lessons – even for adults. Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss (published by Random House) is an excellent illustration of commitment. It is available on Amazon.com and at most public libraries or large bookstores, but in case you might not be sufficiently inspired to look for it, here’s a brief summary:
Horton the Elephant is beseeched by a lazy bird named Mayzie to sit on the egg she recently laid so that she can take a break. Although Horton is at first fearful that his enormous size will not allow him to crawl up the tree to the nest where the tiny egg is, being the kind, considerate elephant he is, he finally consents to helping her.
“’Very well,’ said the elephant, "since you insist... You want a vacation. Go fly off and take it. I'll sit on your egg and I'll try not to break it. I'll stay and be faithful. I mean what I say."’
That night, there is a terrible thunderstorm. Not yet realizing that Lazy Mayzie doesn’t have the same sense of faithfulness to her word that he has (by this time, Mayzie is off in Palm Beach and has decided not to return at all), Horton stays on the nest despite the pouring rain and rumbling thunder.
Summer passes, fall comes and goes, and soon it is winter with its ice and sleet. But, whereas many wouldn’t have made it through the first night without throwing in the towel, "… Horton kept sitting, and said with a sneeze, ‘I'll stay on this egg and I won't let it freeze. I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful one hundred percent!’"
Spring rolls around, and Horton wants to go play with his friends. However, he doesn’t budge an inch – though they taunt and tease him, and say he thinks he’s a bird. Consider all the real life dreams that have been shot down by ridicule!
Then, fate has it that three hunters sneak up on him, but even in the face of their guns, Horton maintains his post. Although they think him to be quite odd, his incredible resolve prompts them to spare his life and, instead, they cart him off to a traveling circus in a faraway land where he becomes quite a spectacle.
Then one day, Horton ends up in Palm Beach and who, of all birds, passes by but Lazy Mayzie. Before he can say anything, the egg that he's been sitting on for 51 whole weeks starts to hatch. Mayzie, being the lazy and ungrateful bird that she is, actually tries to reclaim the egg. But fate won't have that and when the egg hatches, it has ears, a tail, and a trunk just like Horton's. The audience cheers, and they send him and his baby elephant-bird back home.
Horton’s perseverance – throughout discomfort, loneliness, ridicule and, last, death – earned him a reward way beyond his wildest dreams.
How many people are you reminded of by Lazy Mayzie? You know... the kind that doesn’t do any work but is always trying to steal the prize or the credit.
More importantly, do you know any real life Hortons?
How Committed Are You?
Success requires being committed. In his online article “Commitment Is the Price of Leadership for Both Students and Teachers,” Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser states, “The leaders with the strongest potential for success are those committed to getting the job done, when it needs to be done, whether they want to do it or not. They are committed to completion. The power of a leader is measured by his or her ability to complete things.” By these standards, Horton is the epitome of a true leader.
If you are questioning your own ability to succeed at your aspirations, it would be helpful to take a good look at how faithful you are at doing the things you say you are going to do – regardless of whether you feel up to it, or the challenges you encounter along the way.
It seems like most people could learn a thing or two from Horton's steadfastness and sincerity.
Horton the Elephant Demonstrates True Commitment
|
The Egg that Horton Guards for 51 Weeks
|
What do you think about this article?
Comments
Latest Articles