I would say that when I decide to be committed to something, I am relentless.  I remember when I committed to write a blog every day. I did it for over six years. I didn’t miss a day. If I had a conflict, I’d just get up earlier to meet my commitment first. I remember when I took Mental Muscle with my mentor Dr. James Mellon. I committed to never missing a day, no matter what.

Now, as I think about these past commitments, I know that those commitments were the actions behind a deeper commitment that I had made to myself.  I remember the story of the team member who fell during an important race and his teammates gave up their commitment to win to go back to help him. Winning the race was a commitment until a bigger commitment presented itself. The commitment to be a true team member took precedent over the commitment to win.

So, what is my bigger commitment then? I say I am committed to this teaching. Do I live it all the time? Am I actually using it? Am I committed to it when the rubber hits the road in a challenge? Is what I believe still true when it doesn’t look good for me or those around me. Yes, it has to be, because it either is or it isn’t. I know that it is. To me it is absolute. Thoughts are things. They are always things. I am responsible for my life, my destiny. Everything has a purpose and fits into the tapestry of my life. Everything is consciousness. The Principle always works. I might not work it well, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t working.

In his book, the Power of Decision, Raymond Charles Barker says he stopped blaming the Science of Mind for his mishaps. He knew the Principle was true, so if something wasn’t working out or he wasn’t demonstrating, he went in and figured out where his thinking or beliefs went off. He had a commitment to the Truth of Principle and how it operated in his life.

Again, commitment is more than just a promise to do something. It is the foundation behind that commitment to do something. Right now in our country, we are faced with the challenge to actually stand on our foundation and act from that place. We can’t do it if we do not know what our foundation is. I believe it is time to really dig deep within ourselves and find out, and re-commit to that foundation.

In his book, More Together than Alone,Mark Nepo compares the cells of the world to the cells of the body. It is just one more healthy cell, that keeps the body healthy. It is true for our world too. We are the cells of this earth and everything that is occurring on it. It takes one more healthy cell to keep the body of the earth healthy. Ernest Holmes called this the 51% tipping point. If this is true, and I believe it is, then the bigger commitment to ourselves would be to be clear on what foundation we stand on and to keep ourselves healthy of mind and spirit. Then, can we step out into the world to assist and give our health to others. I would say that the greatest foundation there is has to be  Love, not in a airy-fairy sense, but as a Principle of Truth and Action.

Dr. Ernest Holmes, author, teacher and Founder of the Science the Mind and Spirit, wrote, these powerful words. “TO DESERT THE TRUTH IN THE HOUR OF NEED IS TO PROVE THAT ONE DOES NOT KNOW THE TRUTH. When things look the worst, that is the supreme moment to demonstrate to ourselves that there are no obstructions to the operation of Truth. When things look the worst is the best time to work, the most satisfying time. The person who can throw himself with a complete abandon into that Limitless Sea of Receptivity, having cut loose from all apparent moorings, is the one who will always receive the greatest reward.”

Commitment is defined as “Something that require a person to do a lot… A commitment obligates you to do something.” If we are truly living a bigger commitment, we won’t care whether we win or fail, we will simply know that we cannot live any other way. Our dedication will supersede our results. The Wright Brothers were committed to the idea that flight was possible. They finally proved it so, but it took many failures, ridicule and persistence before that time.

In closing, what is the bigger commitment behind the actions you take in life? Are they aligned with what you say you believe to be true? Are you willing to live those commitments no matter what and yet be flexible enough to know when to give into an even bigger commitment behind that. I believe commitments are meant to deepen us, be eternal and always open us to the new. Our commitments are the gateway to what we believe is important in life.

Love and Aloha,

Rev. Rita