Seven years ago, I made a commitment to try to
write an inspirational message every week. My goal was to remind
people about the important things in life like faith, family, honesty, and
integrity, but I also hoped I would be able use my faith and life experiences
to draw people nearer to God. I look at it as one small way of giving back for
all the blessings I’ve received in my life. However, it can be very difficult to
come up with a good story every week and sometimes I struggle. Even worse,
sometimes I’ll receive harsh criticism about my messages that makes me want to
quit. But when I make a commitment, it’s like giving my word, so I do my best
to stick to it.
Speaking of commitments, on Wednesday my wife
and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary. I took the
day off from work to spend it with her (because I know how important spending
time together is to her) and she surprised me in a very special way. She asked
me to go for a walk up to the top of Palisades Hill, which has a towering view
of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. It’s a pretty long walk but I wasn’t
about to object. As we approached the top of Palisades Hill we came to a gazebo
on a small look-out point where tourists can view the ocean. I stopped before
we got there because a man was already standing there enjoying the view. She
laughed and said that’s not just some man, that’s our friend Don (who is a
pastor) and if it’s okay with you I would like to renew our vows today with
this beautiful view that overlooks our little beach house by the ocean.
It was a wonderful surprise that I will never
forget. Don even brought champagne and we toasted our friendship as
well as our marriage. Since Don knows us so well and knows how committed we are
to each other, he brought some special vows that he wrote for us that were
perfect. Some commitments are hard to keep but I have to say my commitment to
love, honor and cherish my wife is the easiest commitment I have ever made.
So this message is about making commitments and
sticking to them. Whether it’s your marriage vows, your
responsibilities at work, or writing a Monday Message, a commitment is a
promise, a promise do your best each and every day. If you stick to it, you
will become a towering example to all those around you… that no amount of harsh
criticism can ever tear down!
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| View of the Ocean from the top of Palisades Hill |
Commitment is a big part of what I am
and what I believe.
How committed are you to winning?
How committed are you to
being a good friend?
To being trustworthy? To being successful?
How committed
are you to being a good father, teammate, role model?
There's
that moment every morning when you look in the
mirror and ask, “Are you
committed, or are you not?”
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