Keeping Your Word!

By Dr. Synesio Lyra, Jr.

Never accommodate yourself to the irresponsible actions of others, much less your own. People need to be held accountable to their commitments, their promises, and whatever else is expected of them!

Many persons hope that keeping silent about a duty not executed, a project not completed, a promised not fulfilled will make them disappear, or cause people to forget about it. Yet, usually such is not the case. The expectant individual will fill his or her mind with bad thoughts about the failure carried out by the other person.

There’s no scale of significance about whatever is promised but never delivered. As insignificant as a commitment may be to respond in some fashion, at a specific day or time, one’s word must count for something. There are people who even volunteer for things they know in advance they shall never tackle, much less complete!

However, society cannot function adequately unless its members look more seriously at every commitment made, however small they might appear to be. Others are counting on its completion and delivery. It’s reasonable for anyone to be casual and spontaneous in certain things, but that should never apply to duties upon which so many others depend.

No one has the right to break a promise without timely informing those to whom it was made. It may be a phone call with information sought by another, an e-mail or letter to be written, a recommendation to be provided, a purchase to be secured et al. It’s often in smaller things that major blunders are created, and enduring disappointments take place!

Although lack of seriousness in the fulfillment of smaller or greater responsibilities has existed throughout human history, it appears that the current age may eventually be classified in history by varied designations, one of which might well be “the age of irresponsibility.” People today never measure the consequences of their actions or inaction even about significant issues!

Make your “yes” always run swiftly to respond to what is expected of you, timely and efficiently.  By the same token, may your “no” dispel any doubt in anyone’s mind about where you stand on a matter, great or small! In all situations, always keep your word!