Percent. That's the amount of devotion that is ideal for everything you put yourself into. Any amount less, will yield a less complete result. It's waking up every morning and saying "YES" to your day. That kind of commitment means work, and sometimes boredom. Yet at the same time, it also means fulfillment. When you make that kind of commitment, you get the results you want. You can achieve nothing less - be it your relationships, your work, working out, or reading more on a daily basis. This is the difference. This is the difference between 100 and 50. When you commit only 50% of the time, you get half of the results. It's a waste of your time to do something half-way, and it's a waste of other people's time. If it's one thing that I've learned this year, that could be the lesson for my year, it is this. Go all the way, or don't do it.
This was reflected in my surgery. I committed to doing it. I wanted results. I have followed my surgeon's instructions. I WANT a PERFECT bite, nothing less. I have stayed in Americorps, after some suffering, because I chose this. I signed a contract and I said I would do it, and so I have. Now, I would not trade the experience for anything. I made the right decision. Because of my commitment to my friends, when I need them the most, they're there. I am glad that I didn't ditch them, or let the relationships be half-way. I made a promise to myself that I would only pursue education that would allow me to make a difference in the world politically and socially. I am not enrolling in just any program, but my ideal program which found me rather than me having to find it. If you make the commitment, you reap the benefits of your commitment.
It took me this year to really understand this. I had an international friend in college who explained this lesson to me before I was able to articulate such a concept. I asked him about his relationship to his girlfriend. This woman was the first woman he had ever dated, and in his estimation would become his wife (of which I have little doubt, if she has as much commitment to him as he does her). I asked him a naive question - whether or not he would marry her, whether or not he would date other people. He explained, his ships had sailed, landed, and he had burned them. There was no going back. This was his choice. He made it. He was sticking by it. At the time I couldn't understand. This young, beautiful, intelligent man was only going to date one person ever?! Of course, he knew something that I did not. He was committed, and commitment yields beautiful fruits. Now that I am older, and have gone through the experiences of the past year, I realized the truth of his explanation.
Unfortunately, commitment is not easy. It may be simple, but it is not easy. Let's revisit my plumeria. Sometimes I am tempted to go down other paths, there are many beautiful flowers. One of my friends recently asked me, "When are you going to get over him?" Even if I could get over him, that is a mute point. I burned my ships. I made that decision a long time ago. I've stuck to it. I've waffled sometimes, some people have provided convincing arguments against my choice, and others have tempted me away from my choice. In the end however, the arguments are flawed and the temptations are rotten. The only thing remaining is the person I chose.
Maybe the other people are not as committed. Maybe some other factor gets in the way to prevent fruits from ripening. How many times does commitment lead to ruin versus times everything goes right? It's not worth considering. It doesn't matter. But even if it did, commitment is a very persuasive thing. You can't push it aside. If someone is committed to you, you know it. It's clear. You wake up, and you know. You go to sleep, and you know. It's very rare that commitment leads to some place gone awry.
The lesson - be committed to the things you do. Don't go half-way, because then you'll be short-changing yourself and those around you. Go all the way. Give 100% all the time. The results are worth working for.
