commitment

commitment: what is with this word that some people feel so uncomfortable with?  I have been thinking a lot about it - in reference to many things: relationships, jobs, yoga practice, plans of any kind.  It seems that a lot of folks perceive of this concept of commitment as being woven in with the concept of time - another silly liquid idea.  There is a belief that once committed it is a life sentence (you know "till death do us part...")  I see the fear of this causing contemplation, analysis, doubt.  Can't commit until you're sure it is the correct course, the right choice, until all other options have been weighed and discarded - then drudgingly agonizingly approach the barred cell as if in committing you are being committed.  Then once done - it is done.  But in truth it is not done!  At least this is what I have sensed, so I had to look it up.  Never got anything referring to "forever".  committing is not something done once and then left to be.  It is not possible to commit to something like a yoga practice only once - have you tried this?  what happens?  the next time you have to wake up pre-dawn and get back on your mat you, if you don't re-vist the idea of commitment, if you don't recommit, well you won't make it out of bed.  Commitment is something that happens repeatedly, constantly even.  It is a process of asking your self "Can I once again give myself fully to this course in this moment?  then again, what about this moment?  and especially when something really hard comes up - can i recommit to this course of action now?"  Commiting to a relationship isn't something you do once - it is a giving of the self in trust to a another person.  Only a fool would do that once and never look again to be sure that this place of the heart's safe keeping is in fact still safe.  Instead I see it as a pledge to give oneself to an intention.  In the case of relationships, the intention to give effort, energy and attention to the relationship.  Actually the same to a yoga practice - a pledge to give of ones effort, energy, and attention to the intention of the practice.  Same to a job, vacation plans.  But that commitment again requires re-visiting.  If the plan was to vacation in Miami and a hurricane is planning to terrorize - commit to a new plan!  A hurricane does not suit the vacations intention so commitment to the root of the intention remains intact.  in relationships, the commitment may be to create a happy healthy fulfilling partnership, if the current pairing no longer satisfies the intention, re-vist the nature of the commitment.  If you have committed to a six day a week yoga practice and then came love and then came marriage and then came the baby carriage, or two or three - look again and discover the root of the intention of your commitment to the practice and recommit to a new path that fulfills it, honor the changes that are inevitable in life and allow commitment to be flexible and changeable and completable.  Allow commitment to be something that gives you wings rather than a ball and chain.