Punchy,
I am writing this on day 69 for day 70. I simply did not get to writing yesterday so after starting the day 69 blog I decided what today needed to be.
Be true to your word. If you say you will do something, you do it. Or change the rules with them so they are not expecting something that you will not deliver on. Tell the truth, and do not promise something you can't follow through on. People will respect you more if you do what you say you will when you say you will, rather than making big promises and falling flat on them.
Being true to your word, and telling the truth does not mean you have to be mean or rude about it, there is something to not saying everything that is on your mind all of the time. If you have to, be tactful but tell the truth in a way that gets people around to it. When I worked at the hospital, I had 23 employees under my supervision. There were times that I had to have hard conversations with them but I was worried about how they would feel about what I told them so I had to use a little tact to tell the truth so they got the message without getting offended. You may find that you have to tell someone that you would rather not play that game with them, so you say "can we play this instead?" In that you are saying you would rather play this than that, rather than saying "I think basketball is stupid and I hate playing it with you."
As to being true to your word, it goes like this. Yesterday, about halfway through the day I did not feel like volunteering at the booth anymore. I was hot and tired and it was not fun for me anymore. But I stayed with it because I said I was going to. Not everyone will be like that. You will meet people who flake out on you all the time. (God knows your mom felt like I was one of those at the beginning.) But when it comes down to it, no matter what others do, or don't do it is better to respect your commitments than to let how you feel run whether you can do things or not. Be someone that people can rely on, it will go a long way in life. If you say you will be there by 7 respect the people you have told you will be there by 7 to by showing up at the right time, (I prefer a bit early but same idea). If you are not sure truely then tell them that. People will respect you more for telling the truth about it, than for you to say you will then decide later that you do not feel like it.
Those times will happen. Eventually you will have to cancel a plan, but when you do, tell the people you have plans with, be true to your word and if you cannot tell the truth about it and let those who you gave your word to the decency of telling them that you have to do something different. It will go a lot further than just not showing up and no one understands or knows why. Better to tell the truth then to say you will and let someone down.
-Dad
