“Be the person who keeps their word; honor your commitments (financial and otherwise) even when it isn’t convenient.” — Anonymous
“Promise, I will already quit smoking.” or “Count me in, I will attend your birthday celebration.” or “I swear to God, your secret is safe with me. ” or “Don’t worry, I will repay you this loan.” When was the last time you made any of these or similar promises? When was the last time you gave your word of honor?
One of the values that, we, Filipinos give importance to is “Palabra de Honor”. It is a Spanish phrase that translates to “word of honor” in English, which means a person makes a binding verbal promise or commitment. “Palabra de honor” demands in every one of us a sense of honesty and reliability. It is a pledge that we give so much weight on as it puts a person’s honor, reputation and credibility on the line.
When we give our word, we are making a promise. When we make a promise, we are expected to honor and keep it by fulfilling our commitments even without any written agreement.
But oftentimes, we fail to keep and fulfill the verbal commitment or promise we voluntarily offered, to the extent of compromising our personal integrity and reputation for convenience, deceit, or self-interest. Word of honor is not only broken when we agree and commit to a specific action or arrangement and later walk away from it without even the decency of providing a valid explanation to the other party. It also comes in the form of lying or giving a false commitment while never really intending to do or follow through. When we betray the trust and confidence of other people in us, we are also breaking our word of honor.
While it is true that keeping our word can sometimes be difficult, inconvenient and costly, we are expected to keep it because not doing so can be more expensive and self-damaging.
Keeping our word helps build trust. We tend to create and maintain a solid and strong foundation of relationships and friendships with people who can make you feel safe and you can rely on. When there’s trust, there’s no second guessing whether what was promised will be kept. For instance, a creditworthy person- a borrower who has a proven track record of paying back debts on time, is most likely to be extended a loan the next time around because he has the trust of his creditor. On the other hand, a delinquent debtor (pays late or never) will have a hard time securing a loan again because of the broken trust. And most of the time, relationships and friendships are strained.
When we honor our word, it strengthens business ties. In the past, and even up to now, there are so many deals, partnerships and transactions between and among people that are able to move forward smoothly and prosper, hinged on each other’s word of honor. No contracts, no MOUs, no MOAs. They rely on mutual trust, respect and confidence, even without written documents. Their words are considered more important than a contract. That says a lot on the weight our words carry. That’s why we hear about businesses collapsing not because of poor sales but because agreements between partners were not kept. A broken promise can lead to broken business partnerships.
A man of his words is well respected and regarded. You are considered trustworthy, reliable and credible by people who know you. Palabra de honor protects your social standing and professional reputation. People would like to deal with you, do business with you, be friends with you because they respect you. They also feel respected when you keep and deliver on your promise. Breaking it causes lasting damage to how others perceive your character. An ordinary Juan dela Cruz who has palabra de honor is more respectable than our “honorable” politicians who are excellent in promising the moon and the stars during elections but deliver nothing. No wonder most of them have credibility issues.
Making a promise is one thing, keeping it is another. But regardless, we have to uphold our Palabra de Honor. Be mindful that keeping your word takes guts; keeping your word takes work; keeping your word pays off big time in the end. My late grandfather used to tell us, “you may not be rich but when you have the trust and respect of people because you know how to keep and stay true to your word, you are the richest.” And sometimes, it’s the only one you have.
