What sort of characteristics come to mind when you hear the word ‘commitment‘? Devoted or obligated? Pledged or perpetrated? It is a double edged term with both positive and negative connotations. To explore these various meanings, imagine the commitment a young child shows when first trying out adventures on the playground. Watching your youngsters explore play equipment is an excellent analog for how we as adults commit to our own adventures, and perhaps experience a few misadventures as well.
Committing to the Slide
It takes courage to climb to the top, and even more courage and trust to relinquish control for ride.
It takes faith to pass the point of no return where once you commit to the next step, you are in it until the end.
Over commitment can lead to unplanned outcomes when little choices turn into bigger results.
Committing to the Swings
It takes effort to keep things moving.
It takes self reliance to reach the heights you dream for yourself. The harder you pump, the higher you go! In theory, you could pump hard enough to go all the way around.
Over commitment can lead to burn out, where your legs just stop the forward momentum and you settle to a stop.
Committing to the Teeter Totter
It takes cooperation and creates a duty to each other. If one person stops, the other is either left high and dry or comes crashing down.
It takes dedication to continue a process, even if it becomes tedious or losses it fun.
It requires attention to detail to how much to give and how to take what is given.
Over commitment creates a liability. If you can’t keep up or make the right actions, it directly effect others.
