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| Maumee Bay State Park, Ohio |
It is better not to make a vow
than to make one and not fulfill it.
Ecclesiastes 5:5
We've all made a commitment that we have not followed through on. I have. Some do this habitually. The result is they become unbelievable.
If you make a commitment, follow through on it. To commit without follow through means nothing, creates distrust, and is a sign of entitlement if you defend your inaction.
Don't assume people will understand and grade you on a curve. John Townsend writes:
"This belief system says:
• I’m a good person and I have good intentions.
• I try my best.
• People will see that I am trying.
• I give people a break and they should do the same with me."
Townsend explains:
"This is understandable. We should be understanding and recognize that people have good hearts and are trying hard. But at the heart of this belief system lies a much darker and unhealthy assumption: I am entitled to be judged on my intentions and not my actions. This quickly becomes a demand that no one hold me accountable for the fruit of my behaviors. It’s entitlement speaking once again, and it’s bad for everyone."
- John Townsend, The Entitlement Cure: Finding Success in Doing Hard Things the Right Way, pp. 184-185)