Do You Complain or Do You Commit?

“What ya gonna do? About your livin’ thang? Will you make it better, or just complain?” – Mighty Mighty – Earth, Wind, and Fire

I recently watched the brilliant film Hacksaw Ridge. While this won’t be a movie review, I cannot recommend this film enough. It’s Gibson’s best since Braveheart. And if you haven’t seen Braveheart, then you’re missing out.

And if you’re a man and haven’t seen Braveheart…c’mon!

Where’s this going?

Oh, I want to talk about commitment.

Before I was committed to losing weight just to lose weight, but now I’m committed to improving my health and well being from the inside out. And I’m a far happier person today than I have ever been. Empowered commitments change the world.

Hacksaw is based on the true story of Desmond Doss. Doss was the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery during combat. Doss never fired a weapon during the Battle at Hacksaw Ridge, but he’s credited with saving the lives of 75 wounded men as a combat medic.

By any stretch of the imagination, he’s a battlefield hero.

There’s a great scene between Doss and his father after Doss enlists. He tells his father that he can’t abide by staying home and working in a shipyard while his friends are dying in battle.

I saw that scene as an amazing example of Doss’ commitment from a high, empowered place.

There are usually two places from where someone makes a commitment.

Default: these are the commitments for which there is a consequence if it isn’t fulfilled. Consider being committed to paying your bills, healthcare, food, following the rules of the road, etc. as default commitments.
Empowered: This is when you’re committing from a sense of purpose or to a power outside of you.

Doss was a deeply religious man. He was a seventh day Adventist (hence the conscientious objection) and clung deeply to his beliefs. His beliefs were from where he chose to commit. The commitment wasn’t out of a sense of obligation but from a sense of purpose.

Examining my own commitments, I have recently changed my commitment to my own body image.

For most of my life I have struggled with my weight. My weight has yo-yoed over the course of the last few years.

I got a real scare about two years ago. I went to the doctor and my weight was as high as it’s ever been. I won’t tell you the poundage, but the first number was a 3.

Jeez, did I just say that on this platform? Yikes?

It didn’t help matters that this weigh in was barely two weeks before I saw my dad pass away. Dad had gotten sick but hadn’t really started to go downhill yet. But it was coming very soon and I could sense it.

This visit to the doctor sent my body image into a tailspin. I hated myself and I hated the way I looked. I’d been going to the gym this whole time but I’d been going through the motions.

I was committed to getting that number lower. I mean, way lower.

I managed to lose better than 50 pounds. But I was never happy with how I looked. I was always very hard on myself.

I didn’t date because of this. “What woman would want me?”

Earlier this year, I found myself creeping back to that same weight. All I’m going to say is that I wish I never discovered New York pizza.

“Put on a little weight?” my passive-aggressive doctor asked.

{Side note: really, doc?}

But I saw something different in myself. I had muscle. I had definition. I actually started liking what I saw.

Before I was committed to losing weight just to lose weight. I needed to lower that number because I saw that number as proof that I was worthy of love.

Now I’m committed to improving my health and well being from the inside out. And I’m a far happier person today than I have ever been.

Empowered commitments change the world.

As I was driving home from Hacksaw the other night, I was listening to my Earth, Wind, and Fire Apple Music mix. Mighty Mighty came up and that lyric I quoted really stuck out to me.

What’s the commitment in that line? The default commitment would be to just complain. But that’s not what that song was about.

“In our hearts lies all the answers, to the truth you can’t run from.”

Now, more than ever, I’d love to connect with you to see how I can support you in redefining your commitment.