Are You Committed To This Week or simply interested in it?

​Alexi Pappas says, "it takes a certain amount of bravery to make the leap from interested to committed, often in the most challenging moments when nobody would blame you for quitting."

I've asked myself that a lot lately - how much of my life have I been committed to, and how much of it have I simply been interested in.

Running has taught me how big the difference is between interested and committed. Whether it's a training run, an actual race or a 'just for the health of it' run, a run always starts with "I'm interested in this."

Being interested provides no benefit. Going from I'm interested to I did it - that's forward progress. And forward progress can be life changing.

Literally - it can be life changing.

Because when you look back on a life you've simply been interested in - you see stagnant. You see stationary. You see dreams you're forced to own were just that - dreams.

You see a life that took off without you.

Are you committed to the week ahead, or simply interested in it?

I think the answer is in your calendar.

Is your calendar this week filled in by life. Is it full of appointments and demands that someone else put on you, or does it have penciled in some things you're committed to doing to move forward - to get better - to say I'm living life, not standing back watching it speed ahead.

Maybe the best motivation is looking back at last week. Was it an interesting week, or was it a week you were committed to?

It's ironic, really, when you look back at a week you were simply interested in. It turns out - it wasn't a very interesting week at all.

What is something you're committed to this morning - something you can name out loud that you will do this week that makes the leap from interested to committed.

Maybe it's your faith.
Maybe it's your health.
Maybe it's a relationship.
Maybe it's your job or a project.

What is one thing right now, in this moment, that you refuse to be sitting here next Monday realizing, I could have committed to doing something to make that area of my life better - but instead, I sit here realizing I was only interested in that area being better.

Next Monday is the test. There's only one question on the test - was I interested or committed.

The beauty is, this morning, you get to decide whether or not you'll ace that test.

I hope we all get straight A's.