Commitment...

I have long admired Michael Jordan. Not because he's most probably the greatest basketball player of all time, and certainly not for some of the lifestyle choices he's made, but I've admired Michael because he's a man of commitment. I remember in the early glory days of the Chicago Bulls, when they were in the midst of winning their first three championships, and Michael was approached by a reporter and questioned about his contract. You see, the Bulls had just resigned several players and they all made more than MJ. In fact, MJ still had several years left on his contract and was sure to be considerably underpaid in relation to his teammates and the rest of the league for the balance of his contract. The reporter asked MJ if he was going to seek a rengotiation of his contract (which the Bulls were sure to do) and his reply was, "No, I signed to play for this amount and I will honor it. When this contract is over I will ask for what I'm worth and if the Bulls want me they'll pay me." And if memory serves me correct, his last year of his contract paid him $2.3 million dollars. The following year he asked for $16 million, and the Bulls countered with $20 million. That is honoring commitment.

Commitment is a lost art today. It is cheap, selfish, and covenient for most people. Commitment is good as long as it makes us happy, but when it stops, we bail. That's not commitment. True commitment is a willingness to demonstrate responsibility. It has nothing to do with our right to be happy, and everything to do with our right to be mature and responsible. Today many choose to defer from their relational responsibilities in favor of individual happiness, which selfishly is the driving motivator for many today. Commited people are persistantly responsible, and ultimately find a much deeper well of happiness and satisfaction because of their actions... There's nothing fleeting, nothing temporary about commitment.

(I've been told on many occassions I should be committed- Is this what they mean? Food for thought...)