I Have Come Here to be Committed

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.” Goethe This human life you and I have been given is so precious, so mysterious, so vast, with a multitude of possibilities and choices that we can easily become distracted from our primary life purpose to truly know and express our authentic self and to awaken spiritually. What I know is being COMMITTED is essential to supporting our spiritual awakening and realizing and expressing our sacred, authentic selves. It takes whole-heartedness, that is, acting with complete sincerity and commitment. This can also be in the form of a pledge or commitment to someone, such as a romantic partner or a cause. In 2011, I officiated a unique ceremony for a woman who had been engaged to be married, and her male partner unexpectedly broke it off. The woman was heartbroken, but what she did next was extraordinary. She decided that what she most wanted to carry out was doing a Commitment Ceremony from herself to herself, for One, on 11/11/11. She was committed to giving outward expression to being her TRUE self. Here is part of the ceremony we wrote to create this experience: To Thine Own Self Be True”, Shakespeare’s Hamlet. By "true" he means "loyal to your own best interests." Take care of yourself first; he counsels, and that way, you'll be in a position to take care of others. To thine own self be true…..” Most of us are familiar with the above quote taken from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but how many of us know this verse: “And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou cannot then be false to any man.” Unless we can be true to ourselves first, we cannot be true to others. Vows: Please repeat after me, Today, I commit to myself, and everyone here, to be my own partner, my own friend, and love myself deeply……….To share my life and my talents; …….To live with joy and see the good, …..to stay present and witness life, through sorrow and success;…..To awaken to the beauty and wonder of myself, ….. my body, mind, and spirit…….To support and protect my boundaries, my mind, and my body so that I can be the playful, adventurous, creative visionary that I came here to be;…..To pursue a life that reveals our wholeness……….To share compassion with myself and others;……. I commit to extending my love beyond my own self and sharing this love with my family, my friends, and my lovers. I make this sacred vow with my soul and with my heart. No matter what is happening, no matter what is going on around me, I will create more love, peace and sustainability for myself, my family and friends, my community and my human family. Whatever relationship might come into my life, I will remember, “To Thine own self be true”. I am not sure what has become of this woman who was wise, vulnerable, and courageous that day, but for those of us who witnessed this public expression, we were changed by her deep commitment to self. There were only 30-something people who attended, and my guess is we have all remembered this day as a wholehearted expression of a soul’s desire to be true to herself. That no matter how the world is out-picturing, we have a choice each day to awaken to our true nature and use any life situation to express more of our Sacred Authentic Selves. To take life’s challenges and become more of who we have come here to be rather than shrink from it. To be committed to living fully. I AM COMMITTED TO LIVE MY LIFE FULLY - WHOLEHEARTEDLY! I AM COMMITTED TO BE TRUE TO MYSELF. Please enjoy my daily affirmation: Commitment to Awaken I choose to awaken, To live in conscious awareness of my Divinity and realize my full spiritual potential. I allow things to be. To be present to what is. I am awake in this moment. I am committed and give my heart to this practice fully.