PRELUDE TO STEP TWO

MAKE A COMMITMENT

Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth—that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves, too.

—GOETHE

Every salesperson knows the difference between a decision and a commitment. A decision is when the prospect says, “Yes, I’ll buy what you’re selling.” A commitment is when you have a signature on a contract and a check in hand. Salespeople know not to count on their commissions until they have the commitments.

It’s the same way in your personal life. Making a decision is one thing; making a commitment is quite another. Many people go through life making decisions but dancing around their commitments. They’re like the suitor who keeps saying, “I’m going to marry you,” but refuses to set the date.

Life is too important to be approached without commitment. If you want to control your destiny, you must be willing to make a decision on what you want and to make a commitment to achieve it.

To make a successful commitment, you need to do these things:

1. Say good-bye to the past.
2. Create your future.
3. Cross your Rubicon.

You can’t take charge of your life without an awareness of where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going. But you can’t build your life on the past. The past is gone. Nor can you allow your destiny to be limited by present circumstances. The present is fleeting. The only place left to build your life is in the future.

You can let the future happen, or you can create it. You create it by forming a clear, vivid picture of what you want and fixing your mental and emotional eyes on that picture. Let it become your dream, and it will draw you toward the fulfillment of your dream.

You can’t begin building your dream in earnest until you’ve crossed your Rubicon. Crossing your Rubicon means taking a step from which there is no turning back. The expression is based on the actions of Julius Caesar when he was in command of a provincial Roman army. He knew that Roman law forbade him to lead his army outside its assigned province. But Caesar wanted more than a provincial command. He wanted to rule the empire.

The boundary of his province was the River Rubicon. He knew that if he crossed the Rubicon he would have no choice but to continue on to Rome and conquer or be conquered. Caesar crossed the Rubicon, and the rest is history.

To seal your commitment and march successfully into the future, you have to cross your Rubicon. The future is a place you’ve never been before, and many people are nervous about entering it. They prefer the safe, familiar circumstances of the past. But if you are trying constantly to relive the familiar past, you’ll never enjoy the rewarding future.

When you move with that kind of commitment, as Goethe said, providence moves too. You will find all kinds of ways to make the dream you created come true.