I write down a Product Promise for every article I write, book I publish, course I create and service I provide. It occurred to me that I could also write a personal promise for the aspects of my life – what I give to myself and what I give to others.
What you are experiencing today originated with your thoughts of yesterday
Look at your current situation. What is present in your life today is the result of the choices and actions you made in the past. What would you change? How are your relationships? Is your business growing in the direction you want it to? Are you allowing enough time for personal growth? Whatever change you want to make in your life must begin from within you. You can begin here and now in this very moment. Make a personal promise you can keep.
What do you promise to do for yourself?
Since all action begins from within, let’s focus our awareness by organizing our search for a personal promise into categories. Jot down what comes to mind in the following areas:
Emotional: What makes you happy? What makes you feel bad? Examine your feelings and identify what brings you joy. For instance, I know that learning and writing about what I learn makes me super happy. I want to be certain to have that in my personal promise.
Mental: What do you believe that is holding you back? Can you change that? What we focus on attracts more of the same. Perhaps part of your personal promise is to look for the good things rather than the bad. What do you focus on mentally? What do you expect to happen? Surround yourself with positive mental observations.
Relationships: Are the people you hang out with nurturing to you? We have a choice about who we spend time with. If someone is cranky, judgmental, overbearing, opinionated, or hard to get along with, why not excuse yourself from his or her presence. In your personal promise, list the qualities of both word and actions that you want to have in your relationships. Then use them as a measuring stick to select the people you choose to have around you. Whether it is a relative, a friend or a work partner, if the other person does not share your goals, part ways. Spend time with people who nourish and support you. You deserve it.
Work: Do you love your work? Are you passionate about what you do? If not, perhaps you need to change jobs or reposition your business. When we work with people who share our passion, we do our best work. Is your work aligned with your passion? Have you made a detour you didn’t plan that has led you away from your original goal? Did an unexpected opportunity open up new possibilities? What steps do you need to take in order to make every day a play day because you truly love what you are doing?
Health: Without health, we have limited choices. Whether you need to get strong or stay strong, get flexible or stay flexible, get slimmer or stay slimmer, care for your body and your health is central to the quality of life you will lead. Whether your personal promise is about taking longer walks, eating healthier food or stretching to get more limber, talk to your body and pay attention to what it tells you it needs. Then agree to provide it. Keep it strong. Your body is your only mode of transportation.
Spiritual: Do you have a nurturing spiritual practice? I’m not talking about a formal religion; I’m talking about time set aside for personal contemplation. It’s easy to get caught up in “doing” and forget about “being”. Whether it’s taking time to watch a sunset, or meditating during your day or journaling or reading inspiring words, choose specific ways to nurture your spiritual self. Plan time to be silent, to listen to the voice within.
Look at your list. Now that you’ve noticed a few things missing from these areas of your life, what promise do you want to make to yourself? Do you promise to be more helpful? Do you promise to listen to your body more? Do you promise to take time to listen within?
Define your personal promise
Begin to define your personal promise with this statement: “When people experience time with me they come away feeling…”
Stop and think about how your words and actions make the other people feel. Here’s how I began to define my personal promise:
Emotional: When people experience time with me they come away feeling listened to. They know they are respected and appreciated. They feel inspired by my enthusiasm.
Mental: When people experience time with me they come away feeling inspired and motivated.
Relationships: When people experience time with me in relationships they come away feeling that I care about how they are and what they think. They are nurtured by their relationship with me.
Work: When people experience time with me at work they come away feeling supported, listened to, encouraged, and inspired to do their best work.
Spiritual: When people experience time with me they come away feeling inspired by seeing me embrace my spirituality in all I think and say and do.
Write your personal promise
Look at what needs strengthening based on your work above. Write a personal promise around each area
My promise for the well-being of my emotions is to allow things to unfold, to be content to simply shape things as they come.
My promise for my mental well-being is that I will continue to look for and discover new things that excite me and share them with others so they can possibly add that awareness to their lives.
My promise for the well-being of my relationships is to walk softly, to listen mindfully and to think before I respond.
My promise for the well-being of my business is that I inspire others to do their best work.
My promise for my health is that throughout my day I will take time to listen to the needs of my body and take time to provide them. I help my body become more flexible so that we can do more things together.
My promise for my spiritual well-being is that I daily deepen my spiritual awareness through meditation, study, writing and ongoing awareness.
See how it goes? What do you want to do for yourself and for others that becomes part of your personal promise.
What personal promise offered the greatest shift in your awareness? Write me. I’d like to know.
