Honor, Meaning What You Say & Showing Up

Guess what: This is NOT a political piece! So relax, you can breathe now ... maybe
 
It is always SO much fun to have to explain what you meant when you said what you said because some overly sensitive/paranoid individual (or group of individuals) jumped to a conclusion. Just ask a political candidate.
 
As a person who specifically says exactly what she means, this drives me nuts.
 
For example: I will say that I "have" to be somewhere to do something. And I do. Why? Because I have made a commitment to be there.
 
Maybe that is to show up for work. Maybe it is to help my mother out. Maybe it is to attend a party I have RSVP'ed to in the affirmative. Maybe it is an event. Maybe it is a volunteer organization. Maybe it is a meeting for an organization. Whatever "it" if I have somehow, some way committed to be there then .... I HAVE to be there. It is that simple. If something unforeseen gets in the way I call and let someone know I can't be there after all - but it has to be something pretty serious or my good old Catholic guilt will haunt me. And trust me, no one wants THAT!
 
Now for just a moment imagine that this turn of phrase "have to" somehow upsets someone.
 
Maybe they "have" to be at the same or similar place but they don't look at their presence as an honor-bound commitment. They look upon their presence as a "have" to because they feel they have no choice.
 
Silly rabbit, you always have a choice.
 
You can walk away. You can not show up. Oh sure there will be consequences! But you can choose to embrace those consequences.
 
You are NOT a slave. Newsflash: in this country President Lincoln freed the slaves. (no that is NOT a salvo across the bow of the human trafficking folks who will jump on that bus and tell me we do still have slavery here. Yes I know that, work with me people and follow the metaphor).
 
The bottom line is this: what do you - just YOU - consider your honor to be?
 
Is it your word? Is it in saying what you mean when you speak? Is it when you make a commitment you follow through on it and show up? Is it finishing what you start? Is it not committing to something you know you can't follow up on? Is it doing the best possible job you can because you said you would?
 
If you answered yes to all or most of the above: welcome to my world.
 
Word of caution: prepared to be kicked in the head repeatedly for those concepts. I have no doubt you'll pick yourself up and continue on ... you're honor bound to do so.

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