PROMISE
In the Oxford Languages dictionary, it defines a promise as, "a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen." So, I started evaluating my life to this point, and was astonished how my life has been developing. As I attempt to break down crucial moments in my life, and believe me I had many, as probably most individuals do, it all came down to promises. From my very humble beginning when I would go with my father to the restaurant where he was employed as a server, and that's how he supported my mother, myself and my five siblings, to my present life. My father arrived in NYC straight from Cuba, a foreign country with three of my older siblings and my mother and was unable to speak English. Working in a restaurant was all he could do. I remember my father would leave early in the mornings and I would not see him again until the next day because I was asleep when he came home at night. I developed a very close relationship with my father because since I could not see him as much as I needed too, I would go with him as much as I could to the restaurant where he worked to spend time with him. I quickly learned how hard he worked but it was never quite enough. So, I would clean tables and take the trash out and some of the other servers would give me money for my labor; I'm talking about a few quarters. So, I developed a close relationship with my father and learned the value of work. From that experience, at a very young and impressionable age, I made myself a promise to strive for a better life. I'm not saying I'm ungrateful for all my father did for the family, but it wasn't enough and that wasn't the life I wanted.
We have all made promises to others at some point in our lives, but I wonder how many individuals have actually made promises to themselves. We are all experts at making promises to others and in most cases keeping them but, what about promises to ourselves. Promises to others are easy because we either get compensated or receive in lieu of compensation a "thank you." This is important externally since we are part of society and part of the rules of life are keeping the promises we make to others. However, internal promises, promises made to ourselves are different. When I look back at my life, to the present, it is clear to me that it's about promises I made to myself. As a youngster, cleaning tables with my father, I promised myself I wanted a better life. As a teenager in high school, I promised myself I was going to graduate with good grades, and I did that. I promised myself I would go to college, play baseball in college, go to law school and graduate with honors, go to work for a law firm, start my own law firm, marry a fabulous woman, have children etc., and I am here to report that, to date, I fulfilled all my promise. I still have many more promises that I made to myself and based on my past, there is no doubt I will fulfill them. Therefore, I encourage you to make yourself promises and fulfill them. I have experienced that by promising yourself to accomplish, whatever it is you desire, and fulfilling that promise will transform your life for the better. You can start with smaller promises and eventually they will lead to bigger more complex ones. Keeping a promise to yourself at times is difficult because no one would find out if you broke it or not, but I can tell you from experience, if you keep it, it will change your character for the better. I encourage you to try it. There's nothing to lose. I leave you with a quote on point. "To be responsible, keep your promises to others. To be successful, keep your promises to yourself." Marie Forleo.
Just a thought.
We have all made promises to others at some point in our lives, but I wonder how many individuals have actually made promises to themselves. We are all experts at making promises to others and in most cases keeping them but, what about promises to ourselves. Promises to others are easy because we either get compensated or receive in lieu of compensation a "thank you." This is important externally since we are part of society and part of the rules of life are keeping the promises we make to others. However, internal promises, promises made to ourselves are different. When I look back at my life, to the present, it is clear to me that it's about promises I made to myself. As a youngster, cleaning tables with my father, I promised myself I wanted a better life. As a teenager in high school, I promised myself I was going to graduate with good grades, and I did that. I promised myself I would go to college, play baseball in college, go to law school and graduate with honors, go to work for a law firm, start my own law firm, marry a fabulous woman, have children etc., and I am here to report that, to date, I fulfilled all my promise. I still have many more promises that I made to myself and based on my past, there is no doubt I will fulfill them. Therefore, I encourage you to make yourself promises and fulfill them. I have experienced that by promising yourself to accomplish, whatever it is you desire, and fulfilling that promise will transform your life for the better. You can start with smaller promises and eventually they will lead to bigger more complex ones. Keeping a promise to yourself at times is difficult because no one would find out if you broke it or not, but I can tell you from experience, if you keep it, it will change your character for the better. I encourage you to try it. There's nothing to lose. I leave you with a quote on point. "To be responsible, keep your promises to others. To be successful, keep your promises to yourself." Marie Forleo.
Just a thought.