When a year is winding down, it is naturally to reflect on what meaning one takes from the year. That is the process that I’ve been going through recently as a realize that we are about to put another year “in the books”. For me, 2014 has been a year without equal. It has been the year of breakthough. In these final days of the year, however, I’ve come to realize that for me and many of you what stands out most in 2014 is the consistent commitments that I made. Those commitments have changed everything.

Over the course of this year, I have written many blog posts and recorded many podcasts in an effort to add value to my audience. As I look back over the year, it is interesting to see which posts and podcasts most resonated with you.

When I look at them it doesn’t take long to discern an underlying theme: “Commitment”.

What is it about “commitment” that speaks to our most basic and visceral emotions?

I love the way that  Lebron James, the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) most dominant player today, talks about commitment.

“Commitment is a big part of what I am and what I believe. How committed are you to winning? How committed are you to being a good friend? To being trustworthy? To being successful? How committed are you to being a good father, a good teammate, a good role model? There’s that moment every morning when you look in the mirror: Are you committed, or are you not?”

I love this quote because it speaks to the multi-dimensionality of commitment. Commitment must be balanced. As James says, yes there is a commitment to winning. But, there is simultaneously a commitment to being a good person. Yes, there is a commitment to success. But,  ultimately genuine success can only be measured in  relationships.