Commitment

The difference between involvement and commitment is like bacon and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.

Part 2/6 #BringingWellnessBack - Commitment

I’ve been involved in a lot of things. I’ve been committed to a much smaller subset. I know the difference.  I realize that a solid commitment to my weightloss journey is what it took for me to join #teamlifetime. It kinda happened internally without much effort because my “WHY” was so powerful. However,  I tethered my commitment to the wrong goal; saving my military career. Now sure, that’s great and it worked, but the true dedication wasn’t to wellness, it was to career preservation. I was fortunately walking a parallel wellness journey and ultimately my health benefited. 

Once it became guaranteed that my career was saved, I knew I would proudly retire honorably on my terms. I relieved myself of my career commitment but failed to divert that allegiance over to the wellness path. I said I did, because I knew that was the text book answer but life is more than just getting the answers right on the test.  The true test requires you to be loyal to the process, allowing for occasional wrong answers, as long as your commitment to growth remains pure. 

When I officially announced my retirement more than a year ago, internally, unbeknownst to me the switch dimmed and ultimately the career commitment fizzled out.  The joyous celebration of this incredible goal accomplishment masked any hint of derailment in my eyes.

Over the course of the next 12 months I routinely did a lot of things right. The foundation I built upon my “Why” was strong enough to weather the storms of running injuries, debilitating medical diagnoses, military disability, military retirement and devastating loss of a loved one to cancer.  

I’m eternally grateful I began 2018, likely one of my most tumultuous years, in the best shape of my life.  Sure I was tossed around, tattered and beaten, but I lived to type out these words - “I will never give up”.  As I look back, I recognize that had I started 2018 from where I started 2015, you wouldn’t be reading about this now. 

As I opened, I said I’ve been committed to a small subset of things: military service, being a devoted husband, a loving father and a few others, as well as my commitment to God.  In each instance it has involved a pledge, a vow or an oath, all acting as a contract of sorts that I honor with my heart. While, I haven’t been perfect in any of these roles, I remain committed to them just the same. 

Commitment has never demanded perfection, it’s simply a pledge to give it your all.

So, this renewed commitment to wellness requires me to sign on the proverbial dotted line. A mere declaration isn’t enough. I’ll draft up a contract, I’ll evaluate, renegotiate and adjust. With my honor in tact, I pledge to do my absolute best. 

You see, I’m no longer involved in a wellness journey, I’m committed to it.