Think back to a time when you were young and someone made a promise to you that they did not keep. Perhaps it was a parent or relative, maybe a teacher or clergy or your best friend. How did you feel? Disappointed, betrayed, angry?
What happened next? You let them know just how it made you feel. Maybe they had a reason or excuse, but that did not matter did it? You still felt lousy. What did you feel the next time this person made a promise? Was there some distrust and doubt?
Now look in the mirror…how many promises have you made to that person that you did not keep?
Dear reader, I have some tough words for you in this message. First a little salve to ease the sting; most of us make many promises to ourselves that we do not keep. I would say that you are in good company, but do any of us want to be in this group?
Each promise made and not kept repeats, reinforces and continues to condition us, just as it did when we were a child. Yet, this cuts deeper as we do it to ourselves and then ignore the damage. Each time we break that promise we are disappointed, betrayed, and angry. Only now we have learned to quell our reaction and seldom tell ourselves how we really feel. The next time we make a promise to ourselves, what do you think happens? It doesn’t have much meaning. It won’t be kept anyway.
Do you think the promises you make to yourself don’t matter?