Keep To Your Words

Your word is your bond.

These are the words a friend normally said during our high school days. After many years, I still see the truth in these words. Of course, what you say is a direct reflection of not just how you feel but who you are on the inside. As a matter of fact, words are not empty and they carry obvious consequences when used. So when you say something, always try to mean it because it may come back later to affect you. Always know that you are bound by what what say, so say only what you mean.

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A lot of people may already be aware that they can be justified by their words, but a lot of others may not also know that they can also be condemned by their words. You do not have to make statements you know you are neither sure nor you know you will not keep to. When you verbally commit yourself, always try to live up to expectations. Some years back, a friend promised me that if I helped her to do a particular work from her office that she will pay me certain percentage from the proceeds of the task. Well, it sounded like a good bargain and I agreed.

The work was really tough and involved heavy mathematical calculations which I spent days to complete. Upon completion, she told me that the office has not released the funds for the task that I should wait a few more days for my payment and I accepted. Then the few days turned to few weeks and I did not hear anything from her. I tried contacting her but she kept avoiding the calls. Later, I got to find out from one of her colleagues who is my friend that the money had been paid, and probably she may have collected everything. I tried reaching her again but to no avail, so I decided not to bother again.

A few months later, the same work came up and because she was not too good with that kind of work, she was looking for someone to assist her again, but she discovered that she had shot herself on the leg when she did not keep to her words in the first deal. Well, I was unwilling to help her again. Even though I was busy with something else, I had friends that could do the work but I was scared that she may do the same thing to my friends and they will think I connived with her to do it, so I allowed it to pass. Sadly, she could not complete the work and it was reassigned. If she had kept to her words the first time, it would not have been difficult getting someone to do it for her. But she decided to fail on her own part and it affected her future chances.

When you do not keep to your words, you may not know the kind of risk you are opening up yourself to. Trust me, if people remark you for not keeping to your words, it will be hard to earn their trust even if you ever will. But if people know you to always keep to your words, you will easily earn their trust and they will commit things into your hands. At all times and in every situation, always try to keep to your words. It is true that it may be challenging sometimes, but if you know the benefits in it, you will not need encouragement to do it. One of my mentors normally says:

Let your "yes" be a yes indeed, and let your "no" be a no indeed.

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Some people have so much watered their words (lies, sometimes) with diplomacy. They will say "I am just being diplomatic," while others will just call it "political correctness." The truth is, people will know when you keep to your words and when you do not; even you will know too. There is no point in saying what you know that you cannot keep or abide by. It is far better that you tell someone an outright "no" than to give them false hope with bogus promise and later dash their hopes down. How disappointing. If you know you cannot keep to a promise, it is pointless making it in the first place. Before you make a committal statement, ask yourself if you can abide by it. If not, then it is not worth it.

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