Lately I have made an in-depth study on what commitment truly is. Last year somebody shared with me that they felt I was completely withdrawn from life – not committing to life in full.
At first I resisted: “Who me? I have started up several companies, been successful in my career, have many friends, I was on television, radio, wrote columns in newspapers. How can you call me withdrawn from life?” But in truth I was. It took some weeks to fully admit this unpleasant truth.
Several things had happened in my life when I was young, then one final big tipping point event a couple of years ago and with that, I made the choice to withdraw from life. I decided that life was too painful to be in so I believed it was better to withdraw from life, even with little money to support myself, rather than committing to life in full. It was not a clear conscious choice, but I can see now it was still a choice.
In light of this revelation I decided to study how commitment really works, and return to leading a fully committed life. I had discussions with people about it, sessions with Esoteric practitioners and read inspiring articles like Commitment to Self –Commitment to Life and A True Commitment to Work, Getting a Job… and Life.
From here I started to re-commit to life, starting with some simple, practical things. One of the seemingly simple exercises I did to support all this was going for a ten minute walk every day. I began with focussing only on feeling my hands and my feet as I walked as a way to support myself to develop conscious presence. I also found that really paying attention to how I felt in my body when talking with people supported me to stay connected to myself – which was not my usual way as I tended to focus my attention on the other person or people I was with, or just lose myself in the story I was telling.
Another thing – and there was quite a list – was when I was sitting behind a computer, was to not ‘disappear’ into the screen. Always feeling my body, whatever part that might be.
Recently I had a realisation of another way of how commitment truly works. I had an awful day at work; actually and more correctly, I chose to have an awful day at work by choosing to not commit. I resisted the work that was there to do as I thought of it as boring and arrogantly considered myself too good for it. I did not work with 100% dedication and I secretly started sending out and answering private emails and doing personal things for myself.
What made it worse was that I still believed I delivered good results. Basically I thought I could get away with this – and indeed management did not notice – but in truth I couldn’t, not with the energy I was allowing to run my body, which was definitely not commitment or love. I became slow in my actions, my body felt heavy, and it did not stop when I left work.
At the end of the day I felt powerless and somehow a bit stupid as well. I walked in an unstable way and felt light in my head. This was not how I normally would feel, or who I knew myself to be, and with this I knew I had let another energy affect my body.
Later on with the help of a true friend I realised deeply how commitment really works.
I realised that when I choose to not commit to life in full, it creates an opening for ‘negative’, that is, unloving energy to enter. But when I choose to commit to life in full, the energy I feel in my body is very different – it is loving, solid and light. Therefore it is my choice that can seal off openings for this unloving energy to enter. This case at work was very huge and clear. But it also works with seemingly small things like doing the dishes, answering emails and cooking.
When I don’t commit to every aspect of my life in full, I allow unloving energy to enter. For example, when I choose to not commit in doing the dishes, but I do them anyway because I have to do them, but now slower and with an indulgence, this contains the draining and unloving energy that is not supportive to true commitment.
Therefore all of the choices I make, the quality of energy I choose to do them in, and whether I am fully committed or not, has an impact on my work, my energy levels, my relationships, my body, other people… on everything.
Leading a committed life now means for me to be fully committed to myself first, knowing there is nothing selfish about that. What this means is that I make it my priority to honour what I feel, treating my body with respect and care, as I would my best friend, and listening intently to what it is telling me. The commitment to the things I do is equally important, but always comes second.
With much appreciation to Serge Benhayon, his family and the many students of The Way of The Livingness, who show me what it means to fully and truly commit to life. Thanks for your reflection!
By Willem Plandsoen, MSc, sales professional and student of life
Further Reading:
The Ultimate Commitment To Life
Taking Responsibility and Making A Re-Commitment To Life
Commitment To Self – Commitment To Life
The Truth about Serge Benhayon 
Willem who would have thought that such a simple task as washing the dishes could be so draining on our bodies if we are not taking any notice of what we are doing, but instead are thinking of other things while washing up. There are so many tasks that we do during the day because we have to do them but it’s a great wake up call to ask ourselves how do we do them, is it in the mundaneness of having to do them or do we go about our day in the joy that we can bring to anything we do.
“But when I choose to commit to life in full, the energy I feel in my body is very different – it is loving, solid and light”, wow this is so true, you can actually feel the difference in the body. When we make it about the body, its amazing what it can be for you. That commitment has a lot to say in how we are in life, withdrawn or not withdrawn. There’s no half half, its fully in or fully not in, with life.
Our lives can change when we make it about the body first before anything else. And in this we take care of ourselves before we can offer this reflection to others to ponder or choose on too.
Serge Benhayon presents walking as a therapy and I have to say that it has a very therapeutic effect in my life. I am committed to walking regularly both by myself and with others. There’s something about walking in connection with our bodies that has the ability to settle us and when we walk with others there’s something in the process of walking and talking that’s very harmonising. Walking is a very powerful therapy on so many different levels and yet it’s not recognised. When you consider how much we all walk throughout our day, even if it’s just in our own homes then there’s so much opportunity there if we knew more about it.
Our body truly is our best friend as it always tells the truth.
“Our body truly is our best friend as it always tells the truth”. Mary that’s very true but most of us would only consider our bodies to only be our ‘best friends’ when they are doing what we want them to and looking the way that we want them to. We believe that our bodies have let us down when they either become sick or are unable to perform in the way that we want them to. We also feel let down by them when they don’t look the way that we want them to and when this happens most of us go into feelings of dislike or even disgust. We really don’t respect our bodies let alone honour them.
Alexis I totally agree with your comment that “we believe that our bodies have let us down when we are sick or are unable to perform”. As once I used to think it was a hinderance when it was sick, and yet it was offering a stop moment to be with myself.
And spot on, we don’t honour our bodies, respect and honouring goes hand in hand.
Willem this was beautiful to read, even though it caused an ouch whilst I read it. It kind of reminded me that commitment is subtle too and that responsibility to everything matters. When we resist, then everything that we come across, has that flow on affect with that attitude and energy – a domino effect.
So reading this has asked me to step up in project I am part of. Not to allow the games being played out, play out.
There’s another level of responsibility I need to go to now in my life, which in turn be reflected to others…
We are taught from a young age to look at the teacher, eyes front, no distractions, so as the days and years slip by we have been trained to focus outside of ourselves. So when someone comes along and says actually we should reverse this trend because it is actually damaging our bodies and instead focus on our innermost or the essence of who we truly are. We think their nuts or some sort of ‘out there’ weirdo. But what if we do have this the wrong way around wouldn’t it go some way in explaining why our society is rotting away because we have put our whole focus on education which brings security, money, profit to the detriment of our bodies. Which despite the amazing medical technology, health service, medical professionals that we have at our finger tips this is not arresting the rates of illness and dis-ease that is affecting each and every one of us?
This quote: ‘The commitment to the things I do is equally important, but always comes second.’ really helps me to see clearly that while my commitment to my relationship with God comes first, it is not more or less important than my commitment to life and everyone else. It is just that that primary relationship has to be assured to set the standard and foundation for everything else.
It is beautiful to read of the honouring you have for your body Willem, ‘I make it my priority to honour what I feel, treating my body with respect and care, as I would my best friend, and listening intently to what it is telling me.’
Agree Lorraine, it is beautiful to honour the body a lot more then just over the weekend or on days off. It’s a daily routine.
I suppose we could call commitment completion, even if it’s not technically fully complete as a task, just complete to Where it needs to be for now. I know for me delay feels quite different to commitment, and it does bring in a lethargic energy. I notice that not committing to things (and committing to my essence first) is like creating an issue, lowering my energy and inviting something other than love in. Sometimes there is a worry in me of not knowing how to do something, but I realise it’s better to at least commit and get support, than leave it there open and unattended to.
The detail in this blog is hugely supportive. Many times we hear people talk about commitment to their work or their lives and it’s helpful to have some practical down to earth examples.
The tips shared in this blog are down to earth and practical, ‘I also found that really paying attention to how I felt in my body when talking with people supported me to stay connected to myself’.
‘Really paying attention to how we feel in our bodies’ is the key that unlocks so much. Because our bodies are truthfully narrating our lives as we go they offer us an incredible insight into ourselves. It is our bodies that tell us exactly what’s going on all of the time not only for ourselves but for others but we’ve drowned out the natural voice of the body with constant white noise, not only that but we also interfere with what it’s able to communicate by introducing foods, drinks, drugs, emotions and lots of other things that play havoc with it’s ability to communicate clearly.
Willem I love the detail of this blog and how it is relevant to our everyday living. Maybe if people really applied this in their everyday living, there wouldn’t be burnout.
What I have observed when I am totally present, time stands still and I work in a spacious environment and if anything, more is done. When I clock watch, then I’m, like that rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, running around.
There is more to life then just waking up and sleeping, its the in between too. The depth of responsibility we have is crucial and this blog has reminded me that I need to observe this more in myself. This depth and responsibility changes as we uncover more, so it isn’t ever stagnant.
Thank you Willem for sharing, very inspiring.
Sometimes we are pulled up and this can be a huge healing if we are open to what has been offered to us so long as the pull up is said with absolute love. I have had many such pull ups since knowing Universal Medicine and I am so glad because by having someone take such care about my welfare more than me at times it showed me that there is true love in this world, that there are people who care deeply and are prepared to share that love in such a way that it gave me the space to look at my choices on how I was living life and brought me to my senses.
When we do not commit to things it is usually when we are in comparison and any sorte of judge-mental attitudes as such are a killer for our evolution.
Committing to life, being present, giving it our all is important for all of us, ‘When I don’t commit to every aspect of my life in full, I allow unloving energy to enter.’
Absoulutely, True we are when we commit to what is Love as you have shared LJ.
It is fascinating that we can feel we are fully living life when in truth energetically we are withdrawn. It would be great to explore this more as it shows us just how good we are at lying to ourselves. I love the practical things you shared like this ‘One of the seemingly simple exercises I did to support all this was going for a ten minute walk every day. I began with focussing only on feeling my hands and my feet as I walked as a way to support myself to develop conscious presence.’ and that when we are honest and open to healing it only takes a few simple and consistent movements that can draw us out of withdrawal to a path of true purpose.
Vicky I too loved the practicality, yet simplicity of the 10 minute walk, I’m often talking to someone on the phone, so how am I walking with myself then? Keeping to the simplicity of things by focusing on the hands and feet is very doable and, I’m going to experiment with this. Its the start of another new relationship with my body…
If all we did was commit to the body then this alone would revolutionise our lives. If we were to simply commit to a basic level of self-care then this would be all that would be needed to completely change the way that we’re living and the way that we’re feeling.
I used to walk almost religiously, it was part of my overall dedication to exercise. My walks were always very vigorous and I would never walk at anything less than an intense pace. It is not the dedication to walking that’s crucial here it’s the dedication (commitment) to the energy that’s impulsing whatever activity we’re involved in.. Willem became committed to refining the quality of energy that was impulsing him and in truth most of us are also dedicated to refining the quality of energy that’s impulsing us, it’s just that most of us are locked into an impulsing energy that doesn’t support us.
Everything around us is set up as an opportunity for us to learn and evolve – nothing is ‘beneath’ us nor ‘above us’ – each experience carries with it its unique learnings and we cannot underestimate the beauty of how things are set up for us to learn in life.
I agree and there is humility and inspiration in this. Seeing life as a series of endless opportunities to observe and learn keeps my attention and focus alert.
Thank you Willem for your sharing, in which you have given some very practical examples of the ways that we can simply develop commitment to life and different parts of life. The first and most important aspect is to realise that we are not committed before we can then begin to practice commitment in some way.
“The first and most important aspect is to realise that we are not committed before we can then begin to practice commitment in some way”, I agree Henrietta but that’s not as easy as it sounds because ‘being busy’ and ‘doing a lot’ is often mistaken as being committed. I used to be super busy all of the time but in a way that not only lacked commitment to myself but in a way that totally disrespected my body and so what was I actually committed to? I was taking my depleted body to a multitude of places and being with countless people but was there any commitment in this? No I don’t think so because true commitment must contain true purpose and there was no true purpose just a very misguided belief that I was being committed to life and being of service.
Alexis I have found that we do need those people who can share with us as Willem experienced that he was withdrawn from life. We get caught up in an energy that runs our bodies in very negative ways and until that energy gets exposed we have no idea we are being run by it. So for example you felt you were committed to life and being of service only to discover that this was a false sense of being committed.
Universal Medicine has been able to bust a lot of the ideas and beliefs we have around work and life in particular by exposing the energy that is falsely running our bodies.
When we do things in a hidden way, in a way that is secretive trying to hide it from another, we know that what we are doing is something that is not appropriate at all or not appropriate for that moment and we are actively trying to ‘get away with it’ but the funny thing is that there is nothing we can ‘get away with’ for in the end in some way we do end up with the bill in our hands, and rightly so.
Thank you Willem, it’s a very practical and supportive read. “But when I choose to commit to life in full, the energy I feel in my body is very different – it is loving, solid and light.” This is the greatest marker for our relationship to commitment, it’s definitely not about getting things done but our connection to ourselves and the quality we approach everything in.
And I love the combination of qualities here, ‘loving, solid and light’ because I can feel the steadiness and sureness when I am connected to my body that also has such a light and playful touch. And this definitely means I am much more open to observing and learning.
Reading your blog has highlighted a few areas where I am not committed to myself and to certain tasks in the home and at work. What I am realising is commitment is something we don’t have to switch on and off, nor does it have to be affected by whatever type of task is in front of us, as all equally serves especially when it’s performed in a soulful quality.
Great observation Melinda and it was by reading your comment that I got to feel how we’ve allowed ourselves to be duped by lack of commitment. We see it as very natural to lack commitment in certain areas (work/certain relationship/housework/doing the dishes/DIY around the home etc) but I now understand that whatever it is that we don’t commit to leaves a gaping hole in which we’re not fully there. Now that’s not to say that we all need to do a DIY course and become proficient in DIY but we need to address the areas in our lives that we shy away from and that might mean asking a friend to come over and put a handle on a drawer.
We can do all these things you have listed Willem
“I have started up several companies, been successful in my career, have many friends, I was on television, radio, wrote columns in newspapers. How can you call me withdrawn from life?”
But are we doing these interactions from function a way to get through the day? Or, do we go about our day with an interest in all that is around us, with a sense of curiosity similar to that feeling we had as children when each day was new and exciting that sense of riding our bikes just because we could it was such fun; and playing in the park with friends a type of play that lasted all day and was so absorbing because we were fully engaged while playing. I realise that as we get older there is a distance that then becomes the function when we are not really engaged/ absorbed with what we do.
‘similar to that feeling we had as children when each day was new and exciting that sense of riding our bikes just because we could it was such fun; and playing in the park with friends a type of play that lasted all day and was so absorbing because we were fully engaged while playing.’ I read a report yesterday from a counselling organisation I am volunteering with that said ‘this years report has found that childhood happiness has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, with more than 200,000 children saying that they are unhappy with their lives’ This is incredibly sad and desperately shows that how we are currently living is definitely not the way and I think this very much correlates with what you are saying Mary in are all of our interactions in life from function and to get through the day or with a curiosity, interest, purpose and love? Because if as adults we are not living then what are all the children and young people feeling from us?
One of the things that I love about your writing Willem is the fact that you are able to so clearly and in such exquisite detail let us know how it is that you got to where you are. This is truly the way that we evolve, together.
Sharing experiences with this detail and depth is what then offers the healing to everyone. Well said Alexis.
Interesting then isn’t it that we seem to collectively avoid the detail. We keep everything generic, we skate over things, keep them impersonal and basically avoid ‘getting involved’ in anything. And in doing so we keep our involvement in Life very superficial indeed.
‘I resisted the work that was there to do as I thought of it as boring and arrogantly considered myself too good for it.’ When we fail to understand that every moment has the potential for connection and purpose we can often miss the important learning or confirmation that can arise in every moment.
I love the practical tips you have given on how we can start to make those steps to commit to life. They are really simple things that do not take up much of the day or can be done through the day. Thanks.
Like walking every day and connecting to our bodies, ‘going for a ten minute walk every day. I began with focussing only on feeling my hands and my feet as I walked as a way to support myself to develop conscious presence.’
‘The commitment to the things I do is equally important, but always comes second.’ I can let the ‘to do’ become more important than the ‘to be’ but as you say this doesn’t work – By letting the ‘to be’ be fully, which means allowing joy to be felt then the ‘to do’ takes care of itself.
“When I don’t commit to every aspect of my life in full, I allow unloving energy to enter.” Thanks Willem for opening the discussion on truly committing to life, and how we may still go through the motions of activities, such as washing the dishes, yet we are not committed at all. It seems to me that commitment is bringing ourselves in full equally to every task.
Most of us are actually incredibly committed because for us to not know that we are the livingness of God already takes a constant level of commitment and dedication.
Very well said Alexis that we are
‘actually incredibly committed because for us to not know that we are the livingness of God already takes a constant level of commitment and dedication.’
This means that we have a dedication and commitment to pull in that unloving energy, that then has its way with us. Once we invite this unloving energy in it can and does do what it likes as we are not in control of it. This can then explain why we can be so abusive to ourselves and others.
It’s always a good thing to review our commitment to life because it’s easy to fool ourselves and become complacent. Thank you for the reminder Willem.
And when we do commit fully it feels amazing in our bodies, ‘ when I choose to commit to life in full, the energy I feel in my body is very different – it is loving, solid and light.’
What I got from this was – commitment is listening to how your body feels to do life. And there are degrees of how much this occurs that is a process of living solely from the mind and more into being led by the body.
When the body is impulsed by divine purpose then it commits without hesitation, commitment is part of it’s living way. It commits to routine, to rhythm, to ritual, to quality and to so many other things but it does this naturally without pause for thought. I am committed to serving God and so commitment is part of my living way.
I am continually surprising myself as to what happens in my life when I make the choice to commit to bringing extra care to one area of my body, or my life, and it can be something very simple, such as sitting down to brush my teeth. I used to wander around looking out the windows at my glorious country views with no focus at all on how I was brushing my teeth. But by sitting down, the focus is all on my teeth and from what my dentist has shared, the health of my mouth has really improved, so just imagine what would happen if I brought this extra level of care to more parts of my body.
Even though our bodies benefit hugely from committing to every aspect of life, including ourselves and they way we approach every choice and carry them through, it can still be challenging walking though the fact that there are some aspects of life you have given up on. Having said this though, we can change this….nothing is impossible.
‘We can change this’ Jennifer and eventually all of us will have to address everything because ultimately we’re all here to evolve and in the process of evolution every single thing that’s hindering our evolution will have to be addressed and our lack of commitment in certain areas is a great big signpost pointing to the fact that there is something there that needs addressing.
Its interesting to consider that whether it be a ‘good’ day or an ‘awful’ day, what is it that determines this? What is the difference between the lead ups to either day? Are they different? I would say yes very much, certainly from my own experience. If ever I rush to to work for example, then I feel like I am behind the eight ball all day and really when I am feeling like that then anything can affect me. But when I am feeling ‘on my game’ almost anything can happen and a seem to know what to do and when to do it. Its quite amazing really.
It’s a great point Jennifer that the quality of our day is not so much about the events that happen around us, but is really dependant on our connection with ourselves and responding from our essence.
Committing to myself by sensing how my body is feeling eases tension and the tension clears. Lack of commitment or in ignorance of myself and the tension is left running through my body causing discomfort and the making of ill-choices.
‘When I choose to commit to life in full, the energy I feel in my body is very different – it is loving, solid and light.’ I love this Willem, it is exhausting to live withdrawn in life, through me committing more in my life I seem to have more energy to get things done.
Attending to the practical things in life helps to build a strong foundation which then supports in all other aspects of life.
This is something I have learnt Elizabeth not to run away from the practical things but instead embrace them.
We can never get away with things, we may arrogantly think we do, but whatever we think we get away with will always be exposed in the end.
So true Alison, especially as everything is energy, and everything is because of energy.
It is an important lesson, one that I feel takes a lot of discipline, to learn how not to disappear with one’s mind in to the computer screen, so tantalising as it is with all of its lights and colours.
I agree that it’s a huge lesson Shami, and for me an on-going one, such is the power of the tantilisation. Far too often have I found myself many screens away from where I began, and watching or reading something that really has no relevance to my life. No wonder I often feel I am running out of time to do everything that is actually important.
It is interesting how we can lose ourselves in telling a story, as in the retelling of the story we can generate even more emotional reactions and reinterpretations on the original.Especially if we are identified to it in some way.
What I’ve felt is that I usually re-tell a story for some kind of identification or effect (I suppose that effect is identification, as in I am getting something out of the effect that I’m creating). I’m not sure that there is any benefit for anyone (be that ourselves or the listener) in us re-telling a story. However if we share something that happened to us previously in a way that supports ourselves or another to evolve then there is merit in our sharing.
When we withdraw the energy that comes in abuses our body and leaves us feeling depleted and exhausted. It is not sleep that restores the energy, but love for people and our universe.
It is true when we leave ‘openings’ we invite complication to enter. With commitment we fully inhabit the space and being present with the moment we are with.
‘I did not work with 100% dedication and I secretly started sending out and answering private emails and doing personal things for myself’. How many of us have done this, I know I have in not being 100 per cent dedicated. But truth is we do not get away with anything, although our mind likes to convince us otherwise, therefore, it is our own responsibility to live in such a way that we are connected to our body and our innermost, in order to bring presence and quality to all we do, without perfection.
Commitment, yet another word that we have diminished in it’s true meaning.
I can really relate to that heavy, dragging feeling that we experience when we are one foot in and one foot out. It takes a lot of energy to straddle life and live divided; always keeping back the parts of you that you actually love to be with. This restriction on our fullness in life is painful. I am particularly thinking about work and can relate to all the reasons that we create for not committing- work is too hard, I don’t get paid enough to do x,y, and z, I don’t like my job, it’s just a job. Before we know it we have convinced ourselves that half hearted ness is the easiest and best way to get through life. But it is a complete drain on us.
Thank you for these practical examples Willem. It’s in the details of how we are in each part of life that we build commitment. How much more of ourselves can we bring to all aspects of life? I immediately have pictures of saying yes to everything- more activity at work, engaging more with colleagues, expressing more etc but your blog reminds me – am I doing this with presence? Am I taking my connection with me? Am I remembering not to try to be perfect also?
Just wondering out loud here if ultimate commitment is bringing all of us to every-thing and every-one…………
Love to come back to this blog Willem, for I was someone who had huge lack of commitment and as a result always felt life was a struggle and complicated – go figure! I have noticed a remarkable difference in energy levels and vitality as I have committed to work, and how life flows much smoother and life has become simpler and I have a deeper sense of purpose, have more clarity and focus – such is the power of committing fully to life and to oneself. Great blog Willem.
I have been pondering on the word commitment and what that actually means in my livingness recently. I have been observing others in that in the ‘outside’ world they seem to be committed doing this and doing that yet their body is saying otherwise eg. being diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. The belief that ‘doing’ equals commitment is a big one society falls for, I have fallen for this too however I am sensing from my body that unless there is commitment to self there is zero commitment in anything I do.
Yes Caroline, I fell for that too, going into the doing and getting lots done, mrs busy body I was in the past, constantly rushing and squeezing more into my day. I was in no way committed, nor did I have any self-care and was always exhausted. In fact all the rushing about kept me disconnected from my body, which meant I did not have to feel my huge lack of commitment to life, and I how created all the struggle and complication!
Commitment is to be willing to do whatever it is required, not what is that we desire.
A powerful sentence Viktoria, and absolute true. When we get the small self that likes to control out of the way, we often see the bigger picture and just get on with what is needed at any given moment – committing is being in service.
Adding to this article 2 years after, I can see how much my commitment to myself and then the rest of my life still needs and can be deepened as I have started to be honest and see how much comfort I still attached to.
Ah those comforts… it is great to nominate and call out our comforts for they do get in the way of committing to life in full – but the magic is, with having the intention to commit, the comforts get exposed, and with this awareness, we have a choice of what we are going to choose next; more comfort or more commitment?
We are forever learning and going deeper in life.
The way I commit to life is to appreciate what there is to know in any moment.
Commitment to life begins when we open our hearts and allow ourselves to feel all of that which is there; the good, the bad and the ugly and do not shy away from bringing exactly what is needed so that truth is restored to all aspects of life.
I have been working with this too, doing something 100% in full is liberating as I realised it took much more energy to do things half baked.
It’s so common that we give life less than 100%, but life is such a different experience when we start to initiate commitment and give it everything we’ve got – rather than just dipping a toe in. It’s like we send out a wave and it comes back ten-fold.
It’s interesting to consider what ‘giving life 100%’ looks like in light of the fact that we are simply portals for energy. I would hazard a guess that lots of us actually get in the way of true commitment by ’employing commitment strategies’ to life. Maybe what would support us to be true commitment in motion would be to commit to being the best possible portal for the consciousness of God that we can be. To commit to that and nothing else.
Thank you Willem, it is good to read through this again and be reminded and confirmed that simplicity and consistency is the key and to be simply very honest with oneself.
… yes, honest enough to say immediately ‘I have dipped and so therefore I have allowed an energy that does not support me in.’ Being absolutely honest with ourselves does require a consistency which I am exploring at the moment but with this consistency comes a vitality and a continuous flow of commitment to life.
It is easy to believe we have commitment when we don’t truly have it because we measure in some way, when we are fully committed we know the value of what we do and the quality in which we bring it.
So what to say Sally is that commitment is not measured but a surrendering to what needs to be. That to me is one of the great building pyramids in life if one chooses.
This world has been built and sustained on endless cycles of doing things, yet nothing changes until we make it about a true and soulful energetic quality.
It also depends what we’re committed to; I was totally committed to strenuous exercise and eating a lot of raw foods and many people believed that this translated into being committed to myself but retrospectively I can now see very clearly that none of it was true commitment to me because exercising strenuously and eating copious amounts of raw food slowly eroded my health. True commitment always nourishes the body whilst simultaneously nourishes the soul.
A great example and point that you raise Alexis, and one that I can relate to, ‘True commitment always nourishes the body whilst simultaneously nourishes the soul.’
If more people committed to life as you share here Willem, I have no doubt that the sales of energy drinks, coffee, and chocolate would see a stark decline as we would no longer need this to prop up our exhausted state.
That is very true Sarah, equally we would see a decrease of health statistics; diseases, life style related such as diabetes etc.
I can relate to how you describe the feeling of committing to life in your body: “the energy I feel in my body is very different – it is loving, solid and light”. I can also add for me, that I have a ‘spring’ in my step, an openness in my heart and a very joyful feeling right through my body. So, it’s very noticeable when I let go of that commitment, as my body begins to speak in a very different way.
And to add to that : ) I feel a physical warmth in my feet and recently more in other parts of my body, the more I am committed the more I guess the energy of love flows through my body and it feels like a warm bath.
I haven’t as yet felt commitment this way in the body, it will make for a lovely study. Thank you ladies for the conversation. .
I agree, it would make a great study Melinda – how committing to something plays out in the body compared to how it feels when we hold back. Our body is not slow in expressing how it is feeling, but we are the one it is talking to, so whether we listen or not is solely up to us. But why would we not listen when its wisdom has the power to change our lives?
A commitment to live the love that we are inspires a commitment to bring love into all that we do.
Such a brilliant blog about commitment. I used to have a problem with 2 words – responsibility and commitment, I now can feel how important they are and when I began to live these 2 qualities everything became more simple, I felt more energised and built a solid foundation that has supported me in many areas of my life.
What a fabulous explanation of what happens when we pull back from life and the unloving energy that has to step in to fill its place. This is the way all energy works, there cannot be nothing or neutral space. Its either the love of the soul or anything else that the spirit conjures up.
I noticed that keeping a layer of protection in my body already creates an opening for forces to get through. We can not live our love when we are protected.
Thank you Willem, what a gorgeous suprise of an insight of how commitment works. It is never too late.
Very well expressed – any angle effects the other.. Hence dropping the ball on one point makes the other loose its power too. I am aware that staying present is therefor our deepest form of attendence to all things we do.
So true as there is a large level of awareness at play when we are willing to understand that the responsibility lies with us all for the all.
Yes, Willem, the commitment to stay with the body and honour it’s constant communication is something I am still very much working on, and the more I do the more authority I build in what I feel, what I choose and how I navigate through everyday life.
I agree there is a definite authority that comes from being present and correct in our body. I find I am much stronger, and much less easily swayed by things happening around me.
When I’m in my body I feel like I’m taking a stand, it’s like I’m saying “here I am, this space is occupied by me and therefore I am allowing Universal Intelligence to come through me’.
If motivation is truly intrinsic it does not need any carrot, If we are not looking to be recognised, if we’re not looking for an outcome but are simply committed to doing our best – anything that comes our way will be a motivation, an inspiration and we will jump at doing it, not to get something out of it but simply because we love moving in the grace of our love.
Disappearing into the screen is a big one especially when our work involves the computer from start to finish of the work day. I tend to feel my fingers when I have to work on the computer and try to take breaks by walking to the bathroom, making a cup of tea, or getting up for the photocopier. I noticed that if I have a deadline of figures that have to be entered by a certain time then I can go into drive to get them finished if I am not careful and this feels terrible in the body.
I can relate to not “committing to life in full”, but at the same time thinking that I was. This realisation was a big wake-up call but one I knew I couldn’t ignore any longer as it was definitely time to truly commit to life, – but where to start? And like you, instead of being overwhelmed by the many things I could see waiting for me, I started with one step at time and made the choice to make the first commitment to me, after all without a commitment to me how can I commit to life?
Being committed to ourselves is huge as for so many of us, we put ourselves last and everyone else. First I feel this caps us from knowing who we are and then moving from there. Understanding myself first has made a huge difference to my outlook on life.
There is a strong and very important message in this article about commitment, as it is always to do with your body and the quality of your presence within it. This is where the roots of true commitment lives.
It’s great to take the concept of commitment and look what it truly means, to take it beyond function and doing but to the way we are in all of our life. Very inspiring.
The moment that I started to commit to myself my whole world changed.
What I am getting from this is how commitment is about bringing love into my action, or at least that intent. To do that, I have to be present with my body, be aware what I am doing. Very simple, yet I can get comfortable in familiarity, or like your example, measure how much of myself I would bring in and withdraw to balance off my reaction to the task or situation thinking, but really, I might be thinking that I am protecting myself from hurt, but I am actually hurting myself further by saying no to love that is actually very natural and innate.
It really is extraordinary what commitment can bring… From the simplest exercise to a whole life unfolding.
It is silly but when we don’t commit to life and bring everything we have to it it becomes boring, which then further makes us check out. And all along the true remedy is actually to commit more to ourselves and life.
It’s so true Lieke, we don’t realise commitment is so enjoyable because it’s about bringing all of who we are to what we do and enjoying that connection to ourselves.
We like to compartmentalise life so that we can own and control parts of it we are good at. It creates the imbalance of being absolutely on fire in one part of life and completely held back and contracted in other parts. This is not a healthy way to live.
“I became slow in my actions, my body felt heavy, and it did not stop when I left work”, a great example of how non-commitment affected the way you felt, which equally suggests that when we are committed we are much more ‘switched on’ and light in our approach, and this then comes with us after work. After all, commitment can’t be switched on and off – as you describe Willem, when commitment is not there we certainly feel it in our bodies.
Having read this this morning it has really deepened my understanding of commitment and highlighted all those areas in life where I do not commit which has supported a completely new level of commitment.
Doing daily activities around the house with purose and commitment is a joy no matter what the activities are or whether we have done the same activity over and over again, it is the quality we are doing that activity in that makes the difference to whether it feels ordinary and mundane or not.
Yes, it is the quality that counts and the daily activities are a great support to deepen this quality.
If we’re fed up with who we are then we’re going to be fed up with life. Life can’t deliver us something that we’re not prepared to deliver ourselves.
We move in a specific way. That has consequences regarding what we encounter as we walk in life. Yet, we do not like it. And, we complain about life, of course, seeing life as something completely external to us. At some point, we cannot take anymore and we withdraw from life but not our movements that led us to renounce us. When our movements are not about claiming us back, we are moving at the music of withdrawal even before we withdraw from life.
Yes, we may not like life as it is, yet we also have great power to bring change by not withdrawing but by bringing our all through the connection to our soul.
Everything is registered by the universe as a movement, therefore ‘complaining’ is also a movement. And all movements lead to more of the same and so the only way out of a way of being is to move our way out. It’s not possible to totally jump from one way of being to another but we can move our way across by gradually changing our movements. And then one day we realise that we have migrated from being under the rule of the spirit to being in step with our soul and the freedom of this is tangibly felt by the body.
Thank you for your honesty and a great example of how we can be very expressive and active but underneath or behind that actually be withdrawn, and not truly bringing who we are to the world and to the quality in our expression. So we can’t measure our commitment just by the volume of our activity but by the quality we bring to it as well.
I’m someone who in the past was very well practiced in the art of bringing heaps of activity to everything and yet no true quality to anything.
Commitment to life is committing to be love and integrity we are and to not waiver from that. But so often, as of my own experience, we tend to lessen this love, and lessen this integrity because we like to endeavour with all the ideas that are given to us by our deceiving mind and it makes us think we ‘can come away with it’. Unaware of what we allow into our bodies when we submit to these thoughts and let in the energy that does not belong to us as we are from a different order.
That’s true Nico, the idea we are ‘getting away with it’ is always exposed by the quality of energy in the outcome of our choices.
Who would have thought that such ‘little things’ would have an effect on how you feel overall. It is this level of detail in our relationship with our body and everything we think, say and do, that offers us an incredible insight into why we do what we do and indeed why we don’t do what we know we should or could do!
We have to bring our All to every part of our life and not just areas that we feel comfortable to bring our All. This is what bringing true care is about.
We can do everything, tick off all of our to do lists, but if it’s done in the wrong energy we may as well do nothing.
For sure Victoria, it does not add to the whole if we are working with the ‘wrong’ energy and therefore it would be better to do nothing at all. But that is not how the human spirit works as it knowingly likes to add to the ‘what is not’ as it will keep us longer entrapped in this life it has created for experiencing what it is capable of creating on its own.
Yes, so well said Nico, it’s incredibly convenient to set ourselves up from the start of our days to function in a way that is not true or honouring of our bodies and when we do this we can use all sorts of excuses to justify why we are doing what we are doing in the way that we are doing it.
Yes and with that too, to enforce it as the normal we all have to conform too because it allows us to stay in the comfortable lives we have created.
What’s interesting Willem is that we can still be withdrawn from life even though we have this outward appearance of being outgoing, successful and have a lot of the boxes ticked. So, I should imagine there would be a lot of people shocked to find out that there are areas in their lives where they have retreated due to past hurts.
There is something so powerful about being consistent with commitment – not doing it a couple of times, but actually honouring our bodies enough to bring it into our everyday routine. This then provides a foundation and a standard from which we won’t drop.
We could see commitment like a tank, if we give 100% of us then the tank and everything we do is full of us, but if we only give 40% then what is the rest of the tank full of – if it’s not us?
This is a great picture you are giving here. We accept that we are not at our fullest but we never question what we are then filled with, because in truth we cannot be empty.
Meg it’s a great analogy and exposes the idea that we need to withdraw or switch off when tasks are complete to rest, when actually it’s simply being full with our essence that brings the vitality.
Willem this is such a brilliant blog because you have shown that it is in the little details that we give ourselves away by not committing in full. Your example of not committing to doing the dishes; but doing them instead in a way which drains you. We do this all the time all day in the smallest of details and so is it any wonder by the end of the day we are so tired that we reach for the glass of wine or bar of chocolate.
I love what you are sharing here Willem, it makes so much sense and is super important for all of us to know. Everything we do either supports us to be more present and vital or distracts us to then drain us.
What are we commiting to comes up for me? Are we commiting to being and bringing our all? And what does this ‘all’ look like? It is the ‘all’ that society wants and demands us to be so we can be super successful or is it the ‘all’ that is simply us being ourselves and bringing this innate love and joy to everyone we meet and everywhere we go?
Yes, I like that James, because we can be so called committed, and very much so even, but what are we committed to. It is the love that we allow in our lives that counts, nothing else, as love will then be the determining factor in everything we do.
Yes, make love our basis and foundation and then anything that is not love jumps out and so we have the opportunity to say no to it. The more I say yes to love the more I appreciate everything I have and everything around me.
It’s fascinating how we can make it look as though we’re super committed to life from the outside, but withering away on the inside, or using a huge amount of effort and control to mask the fact that our inner lives are a shambles. But everyone can see, more or less, what’s going on, because you can’t hide energy: it speaks for itself. So when we’re over-working to make it look like we’ve got it all going on, the only person we’re generally fooling is ourselves, and if no one else tells us, at least we can rely on our own bodies to tell us in no uncertain terms what we’re doing to ourselves. True commitment is about showing up and being ourselves in full, bringing the quality of who we are, to what we do. Results and outputs are like a bonus of having committed to bring our all to something in the first place.
Control is a hidden factor that masks itself as commitment personalised but at what levels does this control support the all.
Commitment starts with us, in the way we loving care for ourselves, in listening and honouring what our bodies are feeling, then we can bring all of us lovingly to what we are doing.