A Keystone, a Vow, and the Gift

Looking back over my past few October 21st journals, it’s clear that I take much more time to pause and breathe more and more often. I've noticed the pattern of looking for and taking advantage of opportunities to clear my mind so I can respond more often and react less often. It’s become my response habit. It started as a decision but has grown to be a commitment. It’s one thing to “decide” to do something, and a far different thing to “commit” to doing something. And I am grateful for those daily decisions and daily commitments that have helped me respond more and react less. 

I have a lot of habits and systems, but I rely heavily on my priority, “keystone” habit of showing up. Discipline takes practice, and practice requires showing up again and again, especially when we don’t feel like it. A commitment is a vow. A promise to work on or toward something beyond our own temporary satisfaction or joy. 

We can commit our faith walk, our relationships with others, or our striving for excellence in a skill or practice. For me, I have a commitment to self-actualize and serve heroically. To love, enjoy, inspire, encourage, and forgive others and myself as we do our best to navigate life with the tools we have at any given moment. 

I made a commitment to create keystone habits that help me take decision-making out of the equation. A keystone habit is what we do; it’s an unconditional vow, part of our identity. This is how to move from theory to practice on our way toward mastery of living life well. 

On the path to a good life, there is no real “finish line.” We are always arriving every time we show up. And we keep “arriving” day after day when we attend to ourselves and our responses to life moment after moment. Pausing and breathing inspires me and reminds me to remain faithful to my vows. Vows matter. Commitments matter. Habits matter. Responses to what life hands us moment to moment matter. 

I know that this day was not promised. So, as I begin this new day, I accept it as a gift. I do not take it for granted. I take it as granted.