A promise is doing something “because I said I would.” Promises can come in all shades, depths, and forms: appointments, acts of kindness, creating and quitting habits, agreements, and resolutions. Thanks to life’s unpredictability, we make and break them all the time.

But what is the value and impact of being individuals of our word?

Accountability and commitment expert Alex Sheen explains, “A promise can be a recognition of a simple fact. A promise can be a random act of kindness. You can pretend to care, but you can’t pretend to show up.”

In the Albanian culture, the word “Besa” means a code of honor and faithfulness, it exceeds the meaning of merely keeping a promise, thus becoming mythologized in its divinity as a solemn oath.

Promises that are made and kept are exchanges of power. We invite you to make and keep one promise to yourself and one promise to others this year. When applied towards positive impact, even the smallest fulfilled promises can create meaningful ripples of change.

Our Tirana chapter chose our the first month’s exploration of Promise and the talented Jolin Matraku illustrated it.