I Won't Let You Down

What a simple statement: I won't let you down.

Yet what a profound impact.

I have been masterminding with a friend of mine--someone who is becoming a more treasured friend all the time. If you don't have a mastermind group, you should read this post. Anyway, this friend is assisting me with launching my new product, and I am currently relying on him for several things.

But of course, he's got a life, too. In fact, he just sold his house in 8 days for an amount ridiculously higher than he paid for it AND would you believe that his neighbor is the one buying it?! Now THAT'S what I call law of attraction (can you see why I mastermind with this guy?) Anyway, he is moving his family to North Carolina and he is actually there now, buying a house. In other words, he's kind of got a lot going on, in addition to assisting with my project. But then, successful people are typically busy!

So I start to feel my old doubts creeping in...the ones that tell me not to be too trusting. The ones that say "do it yourself." The limiting beliefs that tell me "you better have a backup plan."

And because this guy is a friend, he can sense this in me. Suddenly, I'm calling him more often and "checking in." I'm reminding him of deadlines. I'm showing signs of stress.

Guess what this friend says to me after I run through the litany of stuff I require from him and what my timelines are. He says this:

"I won't let you down."

Instantly, and I mean INSTANTLY, I am put at ease. I didn't fret about it again that day. Because he was sincere and I believe him.

I'm thinking about that sentence again today. I got up this morning and started hammering away at my to-do list. And when I get to the stuff that I require from him, I hear a voice in my head say: "It's ok. I don't need to worry about that becasue I know he won't let me down."

What a tremendous feeling!

Do you know the feeling I mean? That precious, priceless feeling of PEACE OF MIND. Oh, how we long for that feeling of peace. And how sweet it is to experience. But yet, many of us lack patience when we critically need it.

All this prompted me to think about why that phrase worked--why it truly put my mind at ease. For one thing, he really meant it. I would not have a sense of peace if I had picked up on any incongruence in what he was saynig and what he was thinking. In other words, I know he wasn't just blowing smoke to shut me up. He sincerely meant what he said. The meaning seemed to have more of an impact on me than the words. Patience became attainable in that moment.

Then I realized that I *never* use that phrase myself.

Why? I certainly don't intend to let people down! When I accept a task, I intend to complete it to the best of my ability. But then why don't I say "I won't let you down" ?

Well, for one thing there is an ENORMOUS responsibility packed into that one statement. I mean, think about what you are promising if you tell someone you won't let them down. They are counting on you, and there is tremendous pressure to succeed. So you better be sure you can deliver on whatever you're promising.

After all, your Word is at stake. Your very Integrity is on the line.

Think about it--if someone told you they would not let you down, and then they dropped the ball, is there anythign that person could ever do to win your trust again? Probably not. For sure you would never again believe them if they told you they won't let you down. No matter how good their excuse was for not delivering the goods, your brain would be thinking "Yeah, right! Remember last time? There's no way I'm gonna count on you again!"

So maybe we don't use that phrase a lot because we don't want the responsibility.

And becasue we don't use it (or hear it) a lot, perhaps that's why it means so much when we do hear it.

In a world where many things are uncertain and you don't know who you can trust, it sure feels good to know we can count on someone. It feels very reassuring to know that someone won't let us down.

My question for you today is this:
How would it feel if every time you made a promise to yourself, you followed it by saying "I won't let you down"? What kind of impact would that make on your ability to follow through on your promises? How would that impact your life?