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Commitments to ourselves

One of the most important kind of commitments we ever make is the promises that we make to ourselves. We know that our ability to keep promises to others will have an affect on the way they view us. They will see us as someone they can trust, or that we are reliable, dependable and responsible.

Did you know that the way we keep or not keep promises to ourselves has the same effect on us personally. If we continuously make promises to ourselves, and then break it we are not showing the same respect for ourselves that we show to others. This has a very negative affect on the way we feel about ourselves.

Lets say we promise ourselves to take a walk everyday for exercise, and we do so for 4 days straight. But then we let various things get in the way of our keeping this commitment. In affect we are lying to ourselves, and we begin to see ourselves as not reliable or dependable. This then allows us to give up in other areas of our life on commitments and soon we find that our self respect is very low. Do you know how good you feel about yourself when you keep commitments to yourself?

Showing commitment to ourselves will make a difference in our success in life and it will help us keep our commitments to others.

Read about Mr. Joe’s commitment to the Ultimate Black Belt Test that started in January 2009 and will be completed with the final test in February 2010. He recently committed to the “Live Like a Champion” journey that begins in January 2010. His journal is My Journey.

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What are our commitments?

What kind of commitments have you made? Everyday and in every part of our life we make commitments to others. We ‘promise’ mom and dad to do our chores or to help do the dishes. We promise to clean our room, brush our teeth, take out the trash. These are all commitments.

When we are at school we commit to our parents that we will try our best and to our teachers that we will do what we are asked to do. We may have promised a group of our school mates to work on a project and complete a certain task.

There are times that we commit to being to a meeting or class at a set time. That is a commitment. Many of us have joined a club or an activity. Maybe we joined the orchestra a school. If so, we have made several commitments. We have committed to come to practice with our band mates, practice at home on our own time and to always do our best. We have promised not to quit if it gets hard or if something else comes up we would like to do.

We are going to discuss this month keeping our promises, our commitments, and the affect that it will have on us and on everyone around us.

Read about Mr. Joe’s commitment to the Ultimate Black Belt Test that started in January 2009 and will be completed with the final test in February 2010. He recently committed to the “Live Like a Champion” journey that begins in January 2010. His journal is My Journey.

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Commitment: Definition

In July our word of the month is commitment.  Here are the definitions that we will be using in our school this month as we look at this word with all of our students.

“Without involvement, there is no commitment.”  7 Habits

Young students: 

Commitment means:  Making a promise and following through!

Older students: 

Commitment means making a promise to follow through with something until the end!

There will be more discussions on this site of this word to help everyone discuss it with their own children and to look at it more deeply with themselves in the coming month.  Check back with us or you may join our community for even more information.

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Courtesy – first impressions

When I think about the individuals who have made a great impression on me it is always the ones that really engage me when we are speaking or who when we first met, looked me in the eye and and were there when we were speaking.  Have you ever noticed that the persons we are drawn too are courteous individuals who make us feel comfortable to speak to – the ones who are truly interested in our story.

Continue reading “Courtesy – first impressions”

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Courtesy

While many times we think about courtesy with regards to being polite and using good manners, courtesy is also a way of showing respect and concern for others and their rights. It goes beyond just polite conversation and knowing the ‘right thing to say” at the appropriate time. It is in fact a genuine concern for the comfort and feelings of not just strangers, but also family and friends.

Have you ever noticed someone who is able to do all the ‘right’ things for those outside their family or strangers, and yet many times do not extend the same civility to their family members? This month we will look at how to demonstrate courtesy in the family, with new friends, in the community and in public, including teachers and adults.

Being respectful and courteous reap other benefits also. Notice how often mannerly children are invited to others homes. Kids and adults just like to be around others who are nice and well mannered. Parents and teachers give them praise. Some studies have shown that well mannered children and adults are not only more popular, but also do better in school and in business.

In a world where incivility and discourtesy are emphasized it is essential that we tune up our children’s social graces. They do not come along naturally. In fact it takes patience, effort and quality time extended by adults to children to get good results. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “Life is too short but that there is always time for courtesy.” This month as parents lets reflect on our responsibility to introduce courtesy to the children that look up to us. Watch our Life Art Peace website for more thoughts on how to commit to this with our family and ourselves.

This month we will be talking to our students about courtesy the following ways.

Young students: “I am thoughtful, kind and polite to others!
Older students, teens and adults: Showing respect, kindness and consideration for others

During the four weeks of June we will be discussing the following:

Week 1: What is courtesy and how can I show it to friends, family and strangers?
Week 2: Manners: From the table to the telephone
Week 3: Powerful greetings: how to meet and greet
Week 4: Excuse me, welcome, sorry, thank you and how can I help?

If you would like more information please feel free to call us and watch for discussions on this website.
Thanks to all families who continue to support the practice of Life Art and Peace here at Balanced Life Skills.