Are you good with your word?

Alex Sheen is a young man, with an ordinary background. He is much like you and me.

Alex tragically lost his father to lung cancer in September 2012.

Witnessing the man whom he greatly admired slowly deteriorate was understandably traumatising. He described the distressing image of his dying father as being burned into his memory.

At his father’s funeral, he was asked to deliver the eulogy. He was determined not to remember his father by the way he died, but to remember him by the way he lived. His father was a man who was always good to his word. He was a man who kept his promises.

Alex gave his father’s eulogy the title, ‘Because I said I would.’ It’s a movement that has since gone global. Have a look at the full story. It will inspire you.

At the funeral, Alex spoke powerfully about how most humans have developed a habit of being unreliable with our word. We freely cancel plans if we don’t feel like doing what we said we would.

When it comes to our biggest projects and wildest dreams, we tell ourselves things like, ‘I’ll get to that one day,’ or ‘I’ll do it tomorrow,’ or ‘That’s my next year project.’

One day there won’t be a tomorrow.

That’s not only true for Alex’s father, but for all of us.

Alex’s story hits close to home for me. I lost my own father last year. I witnessed his slow deterioration to dementia.

My entire family sat beside his bed for almost two weeks waiting for him to take his final breath. Nothing can ever prepare you for those images.

My father’s dementia became evident not long after he had retired from work. He spent his lifetime working, saving, and sacrificing. He was never given the chance to enjoy the retirement that the brochure promises. He was gone. His life was over.

Tomorrow Syndrome

Too many people I speak to suffer from a condition that I call ‘Tomorrow Syndrome.’ It’s a condition that comes with a really damaging symptom…

We kick our biggest dreams down the road.

I am not immune from this condition.

I often attempt to justify my excuses by convincing myself that now is not the right time. It’s not until I hear other people use the same words that I see what a hollow belief it is. It’s not just hollow, it’s rarely ever true.

Now is the perfect time to begin. It is the only time to begin.

You might not feel ready.

You might not know how.

You might be terrified.

You might need to dig deeper than you ever have before.

You might need to get creative and resourceful.

There is rarely ever (only in very exceptional circumstances) any truth to the story that now is not the right time. That’s your fear manifesting into words that sound believable. It’s a story you can sell to yourself.

Make a promise to yourself. This is your commitment to you.

Take out a piece of paper and write your promise down. And do it for no other reason than because you said you would. Hold yourself to your word.