For those who have been following this blog for a while, you know that one of my favorite sources of inspiration is the Food Network show Chopped. This week was no exception. One of the spiritual messages that I have been receiving lately is about consistency. One of the primary reasons contestants are “chopped” is because there is inconsistency in plating and in preparation of the food. The inconsistency can be that the meats were cooked to differing degrees of doneness. Other times, the same amount of ingredients was not placed in the same way or in the same amount on the plates. Consistency is important. If you are going out to eat at a restaurant, it is important that all who order a dish, regardless of when they order it get the same dish. One of the things I have found personally challenging is when I order something and love it and then order it again a few weeks later and it is not the same dish. Inconsistency challenges one’s ability to trust they are going to have the same experience or that all who order it will experience the same dish.
Consistency is not just important in the kitchen, but in our daily lives as well. Consistency helps others trust that the message we put out to the universe is true. It illustrates that we walk our talk and talk our walk. When we lack consistency in our lives, it is difficult for people to trust our message and our motives. Consistency is something, which affects every aspect of our life from personal relationships to business relationships. For example, one of my clients recently said that one of the reasons she loved working with me individually is that she sees consistency between the messages I send out in my writing, talk about in groups, and show through my interactions with others. My being consistent enables her to feel safe in trusting me because she has experienced that consistency over time.
Consistency is about living your ethics in life. Socrates once said, “The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” In other words, be consistent. Your values should align with your words and your words should align with your actions. Those values should remain the same regardless of the situation.
When you think about the people you find most consistent in your life, they are the ones who are the same all the time. For example, I know someone who is consistently lying. However, I would trust them more than someone who is honest with me when it is convenient and not as forthcoming when it is not. I never know how they are going to respond. While I do not appreciate being lied to, I do appreciate knowing that this person’s lying is consistent and so there is no guessing.
Part of what helps us become consistent in our own lives is when we are clear on what we want and then work at it. If we say we want to work on something and then we don’t, we are not being consistent. If we want people to view us as consistent, then we have to look at where our actions and values do not align and work to bring them into alignment. As we walk with greater consistency in our journey, others will notice and word of our consistency will spread. As my father used to tell me, your reputation will precede you. So may we all work on having a reputation of being consistent.