This article is about involvement and commitment, two of the
things we need to be successful. This applies to our jobs or
businesses, relationships, and even recreational pursuits.
 
Any type of success, whether it is personal, professional,
academic, or athletic, will usually require a combination of
involvement and commitment.
 
I hope the headline stirred your interest. Here is how
chickens, pigs, and even cows, can help define involvement
and commitment.
 
Think about a meal consisting of eggs and ham and consider
the contributions made by a chicken and a pig. A chicken
provided the eggs and a pig provided the ham. It can be said
the chicken was involved, because the chicken continues to
live as it lays more eggs. It can be said the pig was
committed, because the pig gave its all to provide the ham
and other pork products.
 
The same principle can be applied to two cows and a
cheeseburger. The cow that provided the milk to be processed
into cheese was involved, while the cow that provided the
beef for the hamburger patty was committed.
It is not my intention to make light of animals that lose
their life to provide food for humans, nor to offend anyone
that does not eat beef or pork for religious or dietary
reasons. These examples simply illustrate that being
involved may mean being a participant with little or no
effort, while being committed takes time and energy, and
means much more than just being involved.

Consider a recreational activity, such as a game of chess,
or a softball game. You can be involved by just playing the
game, no matter how good you are. However, to really be
successful, to win more than you lose, you must have made a
commitment at some point in your life. For chess, it means
taking the time to understand the game and study winning
strategies. For softball, it means at some point you
practiced hitting and throwing a ball. There are a few
fortunate people with a large degree of natural ability to
do certain things, but most of us need to work at it.
 
Most of us have made some commitments for which we put forth
a small effort on a regular basis. For example, things like
taking a bath/shower and brushing our teeth are often taken
for granted. However, those things can be thought of as a
commitment to good grooming and proper hygiene.
 
Marriage definitely takes involvement and commitment. You
can be involved just by signing a marriage license and
saying some vows. For the marriage to be a lasting success,
it takes a commitment from both people. It means working
together toward shared goals, communicating with each other,
and resolving the occasional conflicts that may happen. It
may take a little effort, but the personal rewards are well
worth it.
 
A commitment isn't something to fear, nor does it mean that
your entire life must revolve around the commitment. You
simply direct some time and effort toward accomplishing your
goal. You may have several goals in your personal and
professional life. Things such as striving for a promotion,
improving your golf game, losing that extra twenty pounds,
and being a better spouse or parent are examples of worthy
goals. It takes a commitment of both time and effort to
reach each milestone.
 
Involvement and commitment are also important when it comes
to business opportunities; especially network marketing. You
need to put forth some effort to really make things happen,
no matter how much hype you hear about your downline being
built for you. When you look at an opportunity, try to find
out the level of commitment that's needed to reach a desired
level of success.
 
People who are successful in their chosen endeavors agree
that we can all get more out of life when a little bit of
involvement and commitment is applied to the things we
consider to be important.
 
Start making improvements today by deciding which things are
most important and make a commitment to do them better.
Often, a little more effort will produce tremendous results.