The Power of Commitment

Most of us are a paralyzed at the fear of making change, of letting go of what we know, of taking a risk. It is the nature of our ego to hang onto to what’s familiar…what we can be sure of. Why let go of a sure thing for something far less sure? And when we reach the precipice that requires us to jump, we fall back, afraid of that unknown future. Noted motivational coach and speaker David Nagle calls this The Terror Barrier.

Now you can waffle all you want. And just not decide. It’s OK to assuage yourself with a life lived in fear, complacency or downright misery. Whether it’s only one aspect of your life –relationship, career, addiction, personal development, etc.– or all of it. And you can feel alone and stuck.

Or you can MAKE A COMMITMENT and watch the magic happen! 

Here’s where the ride gets fun! The Universe Rewards Commitment. Once you make a Commitment, all of the doors will open in your favor–in sequence! You may not know exactly how you’re going to get where you’ve planned to go, but once you make The Commitment, you will be guided to the next step. And then the next. And the next one after that.

It’s like that scene in just about every Indiana Jones or jungle adventure you’ve seen in the movies. The hero arrives at the chasm with no means across, and some wizened character says, “Trust—Just take the first step.” And sure enough, a hanging bridge appears just as the hero’s foot steps forward and with each step, more of the bridge appears.

That’s the Power of Commitment. I’ll bet that if you look back on your life, you can see this Universal Law in action. When you were passionate about something and you made the Commitment to move forward, all of a sudden the doors started to fly open, people you needed showed up, synchronicities appeared, everything just fell into place.

So what Commitment are you avoiding? Is it a big one or a little one? Does it involve habit change, career change, financial investment, home change, relationship change, releasing a co-dependent person from your life, addressing an addiction, or avoiding confronting a health challenge, for example.

So here’s a good exercise to start getting you comfortable with the idea of Commitment. Write your Commitment at the top of a page of paper. Then make a list of pros and cons. Make sure to add on the “cons” such things as: “I’m unhappy. I’m afraid. I can live with what I’m making even though it’s poorly paying and I hate my job. I don’t feel well, but if I have the operation, I could be worse.”

Then on the pros, write the upside: “I am so happy. I feel free. I have more money. My kids are benefiting because I feel radiant and can give them more of my time. I’m loving life. I have a great new home that I love. I’m living addiction-free. I don’t have to worry any more now that I’ve had the operation.”…. you get the picture.

Most of us focus on the risks, but hopefully this exercise reminds you of the extraordinary upside—and how could you miss when the whole Universe is lining up to help you once you Make The Commitment! 

So stop waffling! Engage the Power of Commitment to create your dream and free yourself to move forward!

Just remember however, that once you reach the next level, you will likely again find yourself at a crossroads. You can fall back to fear, or Commitment and trust again because you know the exhilaration of succeeding through Commitment. Take that first step!