8/10/10

Don't Eat That! - A Lesson in Commitment

This evening after dinner, I was offered some rum cake from the Caribbean. It looked good and it smelled even better. My mother even told me it tasted delicious, so much so that she ate half of the whole cake. However, I declined.

Why? In the beginning of 2010, I made a commitment to give up all types of kinds of alcohol for the whole year, whether it be beer, or any kind of liquor (which includes rum, an ingredient of this cake). Therefore, I didn't eat the cake simply because it contained rum.

Although, the alcohol in the cake was not nearly enough to affect anyone (.5%-1% alcohol content per serving), I made a commitment to stay away from alcohol, and I decided to stick with it. Although it was tempting, because the cake really looked very good, one must fight temptations to keep promises made to ones self. That's a universal rule in life, and we have to realize that to become stronger people. 

And no matter how insignificant the temptation may be, you still have to fight it and not take it lightly. If you make excuses just because your temptations may seem insignificant now, excuses will just give them a chance to grow, and to eventually destroy you.


Of course, this doesn't only apply to cake and alcohol, but to even bigger promises and commitments in life, like staying on an exercise program, meeting a deadline, or getting married. Sure, those examples are of a bigger scale and it takes a lot more work on your part to keep those promises, but if you work to strengthen your will power in a lot of your actions in everyday life, you can keep your commitments easily, whatever they may be. 

But as it relates to my situation, what I'm trying to say is... try to think that the insignificant 1% alcohol in the cake, to a small distraction that will keep you from doing that project, or that small infidelity that will make you unfaithful. They may be small now, but if you make excuses and give those vices a chance to grow... like I said, they can destroy you.


So in case you're having trouble keeping a promise, whether it be to someone else, or to yourself, just remember my story with the rum cake. You'll be so much stronger for staying to your commitment and keeping your promises, and you will also be a better person for it too.


D4P...PD!!!
-OBE

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