Latest / Mosaic Sparks with Lesley George / How to Stop Letting Yourself Down: The Art of Self-Integrity

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How to Stop Letting Yourself Down: The Art of Self-Integrity · Mosaic Sparks with Lesley George

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: What do you do when you no longer feel like doing the thing you promise you would do?
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Spark Inten, the mini episode of Mosaic Sparks, where we celebrate our sparklers and take one lesson from everyday life.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Leslie George, and today I have a confession.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to bail on our September 5K.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: But first, let me welcome our sparklers, our new sparklers in Leslie, Illinois, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Hirakatu in Osako, Japan, and Paris, France.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: We now have listeners in 137 cities across 30 countries.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Every time I see a new place, I think about the person behind that number.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to say thank you for making room for this show in your day.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you to all of our listeners across the globe who faithfully tune in every day.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: So back in December 2025, a few family members and I we made a commitment.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: We said we would compete or complete 15K every month throughout the year of 2026.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: You know, when you make these bold statements, it sounded straightforward when we said it.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Then the year got going, and each of us had other commitments.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: So sometimes the schedule was hard to coordinate, and finding a time that would work for everyone became part of the challenge because we then had to go out and look for 5K's, usually on the weekend, where everyone could participate.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: And it started to get rough.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: And so by September, we are facing our ninth 5K.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: And to be honest with you, I felt like quitting.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: The thing is, is I made this commitment with other people.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: They knew that I'd said I would do it, and they were counting on me to show up.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: And so I'm happy to say we completed that nine, our ninth 5K this past Sunday.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry, this past Saturday, representing the month of September.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: When I finished, I felt proud.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: I had done what I said I would do, even after the excitement of making the plan had well worn off, because that was nine months ago.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that experience made me think about why we sometimes keep our dreams to ourselves.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Saying a dream out loud lets somebody ask, how's it going?
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Sharing a plan gives people the chance to notice when we are drifting from it.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: Accountability can feel very uncomfortable, especially when we are already worried that we might fall short.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: I felt that discomfort before the 5K.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: I also felt what happened on the other side of it.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: My family's commitment helped me follow through on a day when I was ready to stop.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Finishing gave me one more piece of evidence that I can count on myself.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Confidence grows in moments, micro moments like that.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Each promise you keep gives you a reason to trust your own words.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I could look at September and say, Yeah, I wanted to quit.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I finished.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: That memory would be there the next time something feels hard.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: Your commitment may have nothing to do with a 5K.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you said you would write, apply for an opportunity.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: What about taking a class or make time for something that matters to you?
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: If you've been carrying that plan alone, think about who you could tell.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Now, you have to decide and choose someone who would encourage you and ask, how's it going?
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Then decide on the next step you can actually take.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: So here's your question for the week: what promise would you like to keep?
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: And who could help you follow through?
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: I am so glad that my family and I kept our September commitment, which I am so proud.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: Nine 5K is down.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: That is a sentence I am proud to say.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you for spending these minutes with me, Sparklers.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: If this episode spoke to you, please share it with someone who has a commitment of their own that may have left with you.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Leave a review so more people can find this episode.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: I am Leslie George.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: And until next time, remember to keep your word to yourself.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: Bye for now.