Receipts, screenshots, and legal contracts are obsessed over by the world, but the main thing we have is one of the most powerful tools, which is our words. There is something more of a personal warranty. Example: I gave you my words: ‘I will make this work happen; I promise you I will never let you down.’ etc. My words are acting as my personal warranty to the other person, but what if I fail to keep my promise with my words? It would crash, and not only that, but also my warranty would be invaluable.
Your words are the ultimate currency you hold, and if you can’t respect your words, why would the world?
Now the question is how, why and where.
1) The Economy of Integrity – In any relationship, personal or business, trust is the engine which makes things happen. It is like a credit score; the higher it is, the more easily you get a loan from the bank. When you say you will do something and you actually do it. It is about the credibility hold.
“A man is only as good as his words” – traditional proverb
Sometimes it’s a mistake and sometimes it’s ignoring people. But if you are constantly overpromising and underdelivering, you are devaluing your currency. The kind of luxury that people don’t recognise is one of the most elite luxuries, which is authenticity, which is not about being perfect; it’s about being predictable. If you can make your move more predictable for the people who are giving you assurance, it will definitely increase your chances for sure; it will always open that door to the room which can help you to succeed in your life.
2) Yes-and-No Trap – Trying to be something which you are not even willing to be can make you a villain. Sometimes we say ‘yes, please’ to all others to avoid the awkwardness of saying no. But as we are not willingly doing that, sometimes we don’t give our 100 per cent, and it does make you look like a villain or a person to be doubted from the next time. It’s always better to say no when you’re not interested than to say yes to please people.
3) First Self-Definition – The words you tell to people are not to tell them who you are, brother; they are to tell *you* who you are. Like if you can’t keep a promise to yourself, like ‘I’ll go to the gym, I’ll eat healthy, I will be a productive person from now on’, etcetera, if you can’t keep a promise to yourself, why should somebody trust you? What’s the worth of your words to yourself? Do you even care what you say? To answer these questions, you have to be honest with yourself and be true to yourself.
“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” – Spencer Johnson
4) The Weight of “Little Things” – Every promise you make need not be a big promise. Sometimes small things which you tell the people who are concerned about a particular thing, giving reassurance, can make you look like a more responsible, worthwhile person. Like calling when you said you would, showing up at the time you said, bringing the groceries you said, etc. These things look small, but you have big influence. If you need the nail in small stuff, people won’t even question the big stuff. They will understand.
Final Thoughts
I have seen people who make promise statements sometimes to give you assurance about the work, but when the work is not done, those promises and statements, those lines – don’t contain even value. If you don’t care what people think of you, you may ignore it. If you want to be respected in every room for the things you say or if you take your word seriously, it should have value. “Many people talk about many things; when you talk, use them to build something.” It’s taken people lifetimes to build trust. Keeping your word is not an easy, important thing. The greatest luxury you can give to people is to be authentic, predictable and a person who owns integrity.
“Your word is the only thing you truly own. You can lose your money, your job, and your house, but no one can take your word away from you.”
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