Be your word! Part 1

I could devote a whole lifetime to effectively putting this into practice. It is very simple, just 3 words: —– Be Your Word! That’s it! It sounds so easy, but I see so many people who have a real challenge with it.

What does Being your Word mean? It means doing what you say you will do when you say you will do it. Does it mean doing what you say you will do with your co-workers or employees. And then breaking promises left and right with your family? NO! Does it mean keeping your agreements with your family and colleagues and then failing to do those things you secretly tell yourself you ought to do? NO! It means doing what you say you will do when you say you will do it. All we have is our word.

In the book the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz the first agreement is, “Be impeccable with your word. Say only what you mean. Avoid using your word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.”  Ruiz goes on to explain that your word is your power to create.

Indeed, an agreement is a structure for fulfillment. Take the building (I assume) in which you find yourself, for example. Before it could come into being, someone had to draw up the plans. They had to make the plans clear enough for the builder and workers to be able to follow it. What would happen if every other week the plans changed. OK, the foundation has been laid but now we want this room to be half this size. Then next week the plan is changed again and the room has been eliminated from the plans altogether. That would be a very messed up building! Very expensive to complete as well.

The same sort of thing happened for me when I said I wanted more clients. A few years back I would visit my local Chamber of Commerce periodically. I wanted to grow a successful business. But I was changing my niche every month or two. One month it would be entrepreneurs. One month it would be relationships, the next month I was an ADHD coach…. Indeed (laugh).  I never kept one agreement with myself about who I was long enough to let it succeed! And I confused the heck out of my prospects.

Now, I’ve gotten pretty consistent. I have *committed* to focusing on helping people transform procrastination into productivity. It is on all my marketing materials and I now repeat it at my Chamber of Commerce and to whomever will listen as much as I can get away with. And my business is growing! People know how to talk to others about me and what I do. Not only “being my word” but holding a consistent commitment to it, has made all the difference. How might your life be better if you were more impeccable with your word? Share in the comments section below.