How committed are you?

As many of you already know, taking that first step can be a challenge in itself, and the question is….how committed are you?

As human beings we only appear to talk about commitment within a relationship context – the question of being committed to another human being seems fundamental. We all too easily forget about the one person we really need on our side, ourselves.

Without our commitment to ourselves, nothing will change. This is why we make resolutions and try to stick to them, why we try to find solutions and implement them. Yet what is it that prevents us from committing fully to ourselves and fulfilling everything we want to achieve?

The reason is that it takes effort, time, concentration, energy…it entails, just like a love relationship, an enormous investment.

In the recent past we have understood a little more about this form of commitment and we now feel it only right to treat ourselves when we can, and even sometimes when we can’t! In the case of men, time with the lads, or for women, occasional beauty treatments. This is a great start, but what about time with ourselves (which is different from being alone), and treatments which help us in a more permanent way, something to rebalance the whole of us, our lives and our ‘selves’. Sometimes seeing your ‘self’ as a being separate from the rest of you can help you, or seeing the young innocent child in yourself and committing to him or her can begin the process.

Time spent working consistently on our ‘selves’ cost no more than the things we treat ourselves with and will help us in more areas of our lives. If we work with conviction and commitment, we really begin to address and clear away issues that have held us back. Funnily enough some of the ground work I do with people is on their commitment to themselves and their lives. From there they bring into focus what it is they want to create, what the direct and indirect benefits of being or having this are and how they will go about creating it. Whilst they work with me I am like the voice inside them to remind them of who is most important, just until they are able to do it alone. Just like every other practice we choose to do, it takes practice to make it perfect. I dance Salsa/Mambo and at first I found it impossible to do a single spin…now I can do three with ease! Practice your commitment to yourself and I promise it will improve.

Of course, I am not talking about being selfish, just more interested in your ’self’, so that, like a good relationship, it can be a living breathing thing – your relationship with YOU! Indeed, having a fully committed relationship with yourself if the foundation from which you make any commitment to another and forms part of the foundation of a healthy and successful love relationship.

Some of you have had your first coaching session within the last couple of weeks, how high was your level of commitment to yourself them? How high is it now? And how can you improve it?

hillybarker@gmail.com