Dedicated? Or COMMITTED?

Following is the post that was intended for last night. However, I got home late and opted to go to bed early, rather than get caught up behind the computer.

In the previous post, I added a quote from Mike West, basically about the difference between dedication and commitment. That quote prompted a discussion with a dear friend, forcing me to evaluate what I believe the differences to be. I thought, for this post I would share some of that discussion with you, because it really helped me to dig into the meat of the quote.

There is a difference between being committed by someone else, or by something that is out of your control (insanity, drug addiction, etc.) But the *commitment* we are dealing with here is the kind you decide upon, the kind you put your word behind. Being dedicated to something suggests that you intend to do everything in your power to accomplish it, put lots of hard work into it, give it all you got. But the key word is *intend*. Commitment implies that you have given your word that you are going to accomplish it. For example, when you get married, you commit your life to that person, for better or for worse. You are giving your word that you intend to stay with them, hell or high water and the only thing that will dissolve your marriage is death. (That's what it's supposed to mean anyway. Our society today doesn't view marriage as much of a commitment.)

A Marine heads into a battle zone committed to do the best he can with the weapons and skills he has been given ... or die trying. It's the worst kind of coward who would tuck tail and run from a fight. Simply put, your honor is at stake. I believe that's the kind of commitment West is speaking of.

Of course, we are going to be dedicated to every day tasks. I certainly would not put my word down that my house is going to be spotless every single day, or else I will die trying! But I am dedicated to it, I do INTEND to try to keep it that way. When you make a commitment to something, you are laying your integrity on the line. It might not be physical death if you quit, but it should be a sort of death of honor, of integrity, if you quit.

So I think, that if you make a conscious decision in your choice of words, when you decide to say that you are *Committed* to accomplishing a goal, you do everything in your power to accomplish it. And if you fail, you get up and try again. You never quit ... even if you final 90-year old dying day happens and you still haven't actually accomplished the goal, as long as you were still trying right up to the end, you lived a committed life to that goal.

I have decided that I am committed to this goal. I am not going to quit until I succeed. It's more than being dedicated to it, for me. It is committing my very life to accomplishing the task I have set before me.

Here's the quote again, just as a reminder. Think about what it means to you, and what in your life is worthy of commitment.

"There is a difference between dedication and commitment. The chicken is dedicated, she lays eggs; the pig is committed, he gives us bacon. Be committed. Be committed to the team, to your goals, to excellence. Be committed to knowing and doing your job better everyday. Be committed, period. Dedication is good, but it always leaves a way to bail out if things don’t go as you had hoped. Commitment is real, it is 100%, it is do or die, you go we go, it is brothers ‘til the end." ~ Mike West ~

WEDNESDAY'S FOOD DIARY
Breakfast
Whey to Go Whey Protein Powder, chocolate flavor, 28 gram(s)
Orange - Valencia - 60Cal/1-Fruit, 1 serving
Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Bread, 1 serving
Olivio Buttery Spray 5 sprays, 1 serving
Lunch
Coho Salmon, 3 oz
Broccoli, cooked, 0.5 cup, chopped
Cauliflower, cooked, 0.5 cup (1" pieces)
Dinner
Chicken Breast, no skin, 3 ounces
Mache, 1 cup
Ken's Lite Accents Honey Mustard Vinaigrette (10 sprays), 1.5 serving
Snack
Cottage Cheese, 1% Milkfat, 0.75 cup (not packed)