Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. ~ W.H. Murray, The Scottish Himalayan Expedition
The spiritual path calls for a certain degree of commitment. How often do we make statements that we really don’t believe or believe strongly enough to make a commitment to have these beliefs realized? Before war was declared in Iraq and during the Iraq war, I heard so many voices calling out for peace. Since that time, I’ve hardly heard anyone mention peace. So what do you think happened? I look upon a world that is not at peace and I marvel that the cry for peace seems somewhat diminished. So was peace realized and I somehow missed it? It seems that instead of wanting peace we must have really wanted something else and that is why the voices are now quiet. At least they are now quiet about peace. But I listen to peoples’ conversation and hear that they are not at peace, their homes seem to be missing peace, their workplaces are not peaceful, and their hearts are not at peace.
I can’t help but wonder how many have stopped voicing the desire for peace and instead have made a commitment for peace. A commitment to live a more peaceful life, a commitment to live a more loving and joyous life, a commitment to live a more forgiving life. Perhaps there are millions of people right now living in the world that have committed to what they really wanted to experience, a world of Peace. Perhaps this is why the voices are quiet.
But if this is not the case then what are we choosing for instead? What are we committing to other than peace? Without a commitment how can we ever expect peace to be realized here on earth? Without changing how we decide to live our life, how will change happen? If I am not living more peacefully than how can I expect to attract peaceful people to me? If peace, is not important enough for me to make a commitment to it, then why would I look around me and expect that I would find it out there somewhere?
So often we make commitments, then we become distracted, or we become busy or we just change our minds and decide that our priorities have changed. It is as though our word, even to our selves has no relevant meaning, no truth that we hold sacred. It seems so easy, to break a commitment, especially to ourselves. But commitments broken very often become the stumbling blocks along the way that ultimately bind us to circumstances that we never wanted. A world without peace is a world at war, in confusion, expressing despair, and lacking freedom. Is this the world that I want to perpetuate?
The world will not change until we make a commitment to changing the world, one person at a time, starting with me.
Blessings,
Danielle
