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One of the 8 Keys of Excellence kids 9-19 learn about at SuperCamp, the life skills and academic summer camp, is Commitment. Commitment is about doing whatever it takes, following your vision without wavering. When you do this, you literally can change the world.

Anyone who has ever succeeded at something difficult did so by being completely committed to the goal. Commitment is the breath-taking moment of making a decision, jumping in, and going forward with gusto. It's the magic moment when all hesitation and ineffectiveness are left behind. The decisive act of making a commitment sets into motion an energy field of action to propel you forward.

Where does your commitment lie! What excites you and spurs you to action? When was a time you were highly committed, and what were the results?

To harness the power of commitment, think about what you love passionately enough to give it all you've got'then give it. Commitment can spring from anything that inspires strong feeling. It can be motivated by a deeply felt aspiration, a strongly held principle, or the desire to make a difference in people's lives.

Commitment comes down to a simple moment of decision: Will you, or will you not, do whatever it takes?

Once you've made the decision to follow your passion no matter what, your commitment carries you through. It's the 'no matter what' part that holds all the power. You're locked into staying the course. You may feel discouraged, even hopeless. You may lose all your confidence in yourself. It doesn't matter. None of it matters. You've vowed to go on trying no matter what. Circumstances become irrelevant in the face of commitment.

Whatever it is that inspires you, give yourself permission to lose yourself utterly in what you love and you'll have no choice but to commit. Simply let your passion take over and you will harness the titanic strength of commitment.

Commitment is all about that moment when there's no turning back'the magic that results when you're truly committed. It's a mind-set where there are no other options. There are no more debates, no mind-games, no procrastination. There is only action, single-minded, focused, and pure. That commitment wields a mighty power and brings with it an intense joy.

One thing to remember here is that "I'll try" doesn't work! You may get up enough courage to go for it, but you haven't really made a commitment if you tell yourself, 'Well, I'll try.' You're not committed to doing whatever it takes to succeed. In fact, you've given yourself an out. Now, when you fall short of the mark, you can say, 'Well, I tried.' When you're not committed, you leave a crack open for hesitation. Hesitation leaks energy. Energy leaks reduce the chance of success.

To the uncommitted, the committed look strangely fortunate. Happy circumstances just seem to land in their laps. They seem, almost uncannily, to meet the people they need to know and find the opportunities they need. They see solutions where others only see obstacles. But the committed will tell you it's not because they view things differently than the non-committed; it's because they never stop looking for a way to make their dreams happen.

That's the primary characteristic of committed people: They're driven by their dreams.

Affirmations for COMMITMENT:

' I have a clear vision and I stay true to it.

' I do whatever it takes to get the job done.

' I can be counted on to keep my word.

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it." 'Goethe

SuperCamp summer programs fill up fast. Parents, go to http://www.SuperCamp.com now to learn about enrolling your son or daughter while space remains. Age-specific programs are available for students in grades 4-12 and incoming college freshmen. At the website, you also can get a free eBook that gives you an inside look at what works with teens from a world leader in youth achievement, SuperCamp co-founder Bobbi DePorter.