by Eddy Parham, SPHR

Have you ever had ham and eggs for breakfast? If you have, stop and think about what went into your breakfast. Obviously, a chicken and a pig were needed in order to fix this particular breakfast. Now, the chicken laid the eggs and you could say that she was involved. But the pig provided the ham and you would have to agree that he was the one who was committed.

You see, many people confuse involvement with commitment. They associate commitment with their emotions. If they feel right, then they can follow through on their commitments. But true commitment doesn't work that way. It's not an emotion; it's a character quality that enables us to reach our goals. Emotions go up and down but commitment needs to be rock solid. Think about these Commitment Truths

•       Commitment usually is discovered in the midst of adversity - People don't really know whether they are committed to something until they face adversity. Struggles strengthen a person's resolve. Vince Lombardi once said, “The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender”. Committed people don't surrender easily.

•       Commitment doesn't depend on any special gifts or talent

•       Commitment comes as a result of choice, not conditions - Frederic Flach writes, in his book Choices,
Most people look back over the years and identify a time and place at which their lives changed significantly. Whether by accident or design, these are the moments when, because of a readiness within us a collaboration with events occurring around us, we are forced to seriously reappraise ourselves and the conditions under which we live and to make certain choices that will affect the rest of our lives.

•       Commitment lasts when it's based on values - It's one thing to make a commitment. It's another thing to stick to it. Anytime you make choices based on solid values, then you are in a better position to sustain your level of commitment because you aren't forced to constantly evaluate its importance.

•       Commitment involves taking risks - You may fail. Your teammates may let you down. You may discover that completing your goals doesn't give you the results that you desire. But take the risk anyway. Former Chicago Bears owner George Halas once said, "Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it”.

Hopefully, you'll think about the chicken and the pig next time you are faced with making a decision about commitment