Your Word, Your Worth

Ever since I was a child, I would always hear older folks talk about living by your word. They explained that for all one may achieve in life, the one thing that we take with us, is our word. Our word is what defines us; it is what people will always remember about us. It is what people will refer to when they talk about us as we go about our daily lives. You are a person of your word.

You are a person of your word says that you are genuine; you are honest; you mean what you say. You can be relied on. Each day, I strive to be a person of my word.

Each morning, I recite the Serenity Prayer - God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. I also recite a quote from the Book of Proverbs: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.

2011 has been a year in which I have found myself repeating these prayers not just as my regular morning ritual to start my day, but I've been saying them all through the day as I've encountered so many people and situations what warranted me stopping, holding my tongue, and keeping my emotions and frustrations in check. I have found myself living these words just so that I can remain positive, not give up and to keep plodding along, both in my personal and professional life. Don't get me wrong, there have been countless moments of celebration and genuine happiness, and while they do outweigh the negative encounters and experience, I have learnt to make the few simple, yet powerful lines I repeat each day, a part of my life, a part of who I am and who I aspire to be.

One of the main reasons I chose to talk about being a person of your word, as we close one year and begin another, is because this is the area in which I encountered most difficulty in dealing with people, particularly this year (2011). The scenarios and situations ranged from the highest levels of government, organizations, corporations and entities to everyday situations and interpersonal interactions. People are saying all the right things but there is no genuineness. People are saying what they think others want to hear, or, in many cases, they are saying what suits their personal agendas and those of their organizations, funders or donors. It is pitiful. It is shameful. It is dishonest.

Often I've stopped to wonder if the problem lies with me. Am I the one that lacks the capacity to understand? Am I being naive? Perhaps. But if that's the game, I'm doomed. It is my personal belief that life is way too short and precious to be spent being disingenuous. While I know that I cannot escape it, I will strive to continue seeking out people of their word as I continue to work on being a person of my word.

Happy New Year Everyone!