As you take up the Law of Commitment, #27, take a few moments to contemplate the connections between last month’s Law of Courage and this Law of Commitment. Can you have one without the other?
There are so many questions to ask yourself about this Law. What Commitment(s) will you be remembered for keeping? Which one(s) will have mattered the most? Who has kept their Commitment(s) to you? And why?
When researching the concept of Commitment I was astounded to find so little available on the subject of the Law. Even the Spiritual Rx
book didn’t list this value. Americans seem to have Commitment phobia when compared to other cultures. One name for this is the Peter Pan syndrome, when a man refuses to make the Commitment to growing up. Maybe this can be traced to the fact that the individuals have not yet found an example of the kind of adult they want to be like, who possesses wisdom and values worth emulating and committing to.
As you carry this Law through the quadrants this month, reflect upon the various kinds of Commitments;
-The one a person must consciously make to their studies and the maturation Process
-The one a woman must make when she discovers her period is late & she’s pregnant
-The Commitment couples make when pledging themselves to each other
-The Commitment a Sun Dance leader makes, taking piercings owed by quitters
-The Commitments a CircleKeeper makes over and over again
When a person makes a spiritual Commitment, to Creator, whether to Sun Dance or to do a fast, if they don’t follow through, the leader who accepted to help them keep their vows must make good on it. If you wanted me to put you out on a Vision Quest for example, I would be responsible to go out and finish any fasting days you failed to complete, for whatever reason. This teaches you something about the seriousness of spiritual Commitments in the Native American community, and how to honor and fulfill them…
The Law that balances Commitment Law is Compassion. What are some of the connections between these two Laws? Commitment is in the East, under Right Action balanced by Higher Purpose in the West. Review your Commitment issues in this context. When Commitments are not kept, there is failure and betrayal to deal with. This is one reason why Compassion needs to be considered along with Commitment.
My Commitment to this work with the Wheel is being tested all the time. Even after we find what we have been searching for, the person and/or thing worth committing to, there will still be endless challenges to remain committed.
Reflect upon the Commitments you have undone, whether a divorce or a departure from a job, a community or a career. Is the deepest Commitment the one to be true to ourselves? What if we can not do that? What effect does that have on our ability to keep other Commitments?
Good luck with learning about Commitment, Malcolm and Cynthia Davidson
P.S. For those doing homework, the assignment this month is to evaluate your Commitments, the ones you’ve kept and those you’ve broken, as well as those others have not kept with you. Choose one Commitment you want to be remembered for. This will be your legacy. Review the legacies and Commitments of people you knew who have passed on to help prepare you for making this promise.
