Dedication and "Fairweather Friends"

Commitments.
Commitment.

It's easy enough to stay committed to something — or someone — when things are going well. We're floating along on a cloud of positive vibes, and all is well with the world.

But the thing about life; about projects; about relationships; about people is that almost nothing ever unfolds in a straight line.

We often forget that, when things are going well.

I remember this community back in late 2017 — people were buying Steem tokens when they were $1.50 each, in expectation of them going higher; making a profit.

And they did!

A sort of irrational euphoria sets in, during which we seem to totally forget/overlook that things aren't going to fly high, forever.

Of course, a lot of people bail out at the smallest sign of trouble. They do this not only with their work projects, but also with their romantic relationships.

Even just a few small bumps in the roads become grounds for breaking up.

We see that, all the time... whether it's in observing our serial monogamist friends, or in a sky-high divorce rate, something that plagues many parts of the world.

In friendships, we use the term "fairweather friends" for those who are always ready to show up when you invite for a party, but they are nowhere to be found on the day when you need help moving.

This is not to suggest that there aren't times when the most prudent thing is to end something, be it a job, a project, or a relationship.

In many cases, though, it behooves us to pause and post the question of whether we're just looking for an "easy out" from a situation that now bores us or seems like more effort than we had originally thought... or are we genuinely ready to quit something truly hopeless?

Sometimes, I have been faulted for being too loyal to people and causes... but I'd like to think that I am simply dedicated. Things deserve a fair shake.

Of course, I am also not someone who readily and impulsively jumps into things without first feeling really sure that I am doing the right thing.

I suppose personality plays into our approach towards dedication, as well. I think about my own father who was rather impulsive and flighty by nature... and set against that backdrop, I suppose it was not a huge surprise that my parents ended up divorcing.

In some ways, I suppose sticking to something even when things are not going well — and for a long period of time — has to do with patience, and with our ability to tolerate discomfort and difficulty.

In interviewing people for various projects in the past, I've noticed that a lot of the folks who really struggle with sticking to something also have in common that they have a low tolerance for things "not going their way."

Maybe that just makes sense...

Anyway, part of my point here is that we often give up too easily... and many self-started ventures and businesses actually fail not because they were a bad idea, but because their founders gave up too soon.

The same could be said about building a successful blog on Steemit!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week ahead!

How about you? Are you a dedicated person? Or do you tend to withdraw when things get difficult? Is it easier for you to stick to something when things are going well? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 2024.09.03 00:38PDT
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