Happy Thursday 5and2 guys and gals!!! When it comes to happiness, one of the simplest things you can do is to do what you promised. “Huh??? That’s your advice 5and2 Guy? Thanks for nothing.” But I challenge you to think about it. How many things do you promise to do but never end up doing? How many times have you said you were going to do something, either for yourself or for someone else, but didn’t follow through? What’s a promise anyway?
What’s A Promise?
A promise is an assurance that you will do something or something specific will happen. How do you make a promise then? You don’t have to literally say, “I promise” for a promise to be made. The promise is implied and is fulfilled when the feeling you wanted to share is received. What do I mean? If I promise my son we will watch a movie later, he may be excited about it and look forward to it all day. Now, once I fulfill that promise, the assurance or guarantee is received and the feeling he experiences is the promise fulfilled.
But what about a promise to yourself? You may be thinking you don’t promise yourself anything? Well, I bet you do. Have you promised yourself that you would save more money, but here you are three months later with no money saved? Or have you promised yourself that you would start exercising in 2022, but here you are three months later with no weekly workout routine? Those are promises!!! And you know that feeling you get when you don’t keep your promises? Well, it’s not happiness. Keeping a promise brings happiness!!!
Happiness Through Keeping A Promise
A promise kept can bring you all kinds of happiness. For example, I promised myself I would get up every Monday morning at 5:15am and work on my 5and2Guy posts for the week. I figured that I would batch them all together in order to optimize getting them written. You know, I want to be in “the zone.” Well, my alarm clock went off at 5:15am Monday morning. I got up and went into the bathroom to get ready, but then, I began to question my promise.
I was feeling tired and I tried to talk myself into going back to bed. That’s when I remembered my promise to myself. I remembered that I promised to get up at 5:15am on Monday morning and write my posts. I remembered previous times where I broke that promise and how I felt after I went back to bed. I remembered how I couldn’t get back to sleep and how I felt like I was behind all day on work by starting later. So, this past Monday morning, I kept my promise and I’m glad I did!!!
The Takeaway
Having happiness is not some mystery. In it’s simplest form, it’s about keeping promises. Promises you have made to a spouse, a son or daughter, friend, or even to yourself. When you fulfill a promise made, you feel better for having fulfilled it and you get to reap the benefits of having it fulfilled. Imagine that you promised to get up this morning and work out. Now, if you got up, felt tired and decided to skip the day, I guarantee you will be upset with yourself later that day. But if you pushed through, knocked out the workout, and went about your day, you WILL be much happier.
Keep your promises to others and to yourself. There’s no joy in letting people or yourself down. The next time you don’t feel like doing something you said you would do, remember to keep your promises and the feeling of happiness and joy you get when you do!!!