“When you say you will do something and you don’t do it, you’re teaching others, including yourself, that you can’t be trusted.”- Anonymous

Recently, I have come to see, that the simplest action in life, seems to be the most difficult to actually come to action. Today, it has become so common for others to be known to bail, flake-out, or never follow through with their word. The sad part is, without your word you are letting others know that you do not respect yourself, nor others enough, to tell the truth. Empty promises, small or large, are not forgotten and often lead to heartbreaks, hurt feelings, and hindered friendships.

Coming from someone who schedules their days in 30-minute intervals, and is “booked” weeks in advance, I know exactly what it means to be busy. There have been plenty of times where I have become so overwhelmed that I feel like I won’t be able to follow through or even get through the day. However, if you truly want to get something done you will find a way. It’s so easy to get consumed in what we need to do for ourselves that we forget about others. Schedules fill up, and sometimes things just come up. I totally get it. What I don’t understand is…why has it become so common for others to never follow through with their promises, their words, nor their actions?

Ever since I was a young girl, my dad would always tell me “Breanna, without your word, you have and you are nothing. Common courtesy goes a long way. People are always going to remember how you treated them, and if you can’t follow through with your word, then you will always leave a bad taste in someone’s mouth.” Those words have stuck with me for years and I have used those as words to live by ever since I could remember. It’s simple, those who cannot keep their word can neither be trusted nor can they be respected. If others do not respect themselves to keep their word, then that often means they don’t respect others as well. Time is money, and for people like me, who plan way far in advance, it means so much more than just time. It means effort, rescheduling, and rearranging what I had once already done. As opposed to speaking empty words, I have found it best to just keep those words to yourself.

Words are easy to come by, but the action that comes with those words seems to be the difficult part. Although it should not be difficult to stand by the words you have spoken, it has recently become tradition that this stays true. To make a great lasting impression, be sure to respect others by sticking by your word. People remember what you say and how you treat them. And, if someone invites you somewhere, don’t wait for a better invitation to come before you give them an answer. If you tell a friend you’re going to do something, just follow through with your words. It’s as simple as that. People rely heavily on your word, and many times, if you don’t stick to your word people are highly unlikely to trust you later in the future. Next time you make a promise to someone, be sure to follow through and keep your word. Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep.