integrity
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the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
With everything we do, we establish a measure of integrity. Our standard of living is a reflection of our actions. But how can we measure integrity? I believe the answer to this question is simple, think of the wrong thing to do…and don’t do it! Oddly, most live as though this concept doesn’t apply to the “little” things. From your health and cleanliness to positivity and responsibility, integrity can be applied to all we do. These little decisions we leverage for a few selfish minutes have the grand consequence of a mediocre life.
excuse
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attempt to lessen the blame attached to a fault or offense
Take this and chew on it for a while…someone is always watching. Many live for what others see, versus the reality in their hearts. In Dale Carnegie’s book How To Win Friends & Influence People he explains, “Every act you have ever performed since the day you were born was performed because you wanted something.” We are naturally wired to perform by incentive. Let’s be real…doesn’t it make you feel great when someone notices your hard work or help?
The reality is, satisfaction is rooted within. Living with integrity does not make your life more difficult, it frees you from the strife of over-compensating for the cut corners. We are not doing ourselves any favors by being lazy or taking shortcuts. We all have the capacity to improve in every area. So, let’s start by admitting that we could try a little harder.
free will
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the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one’s own discretion.
We are selfish beings; survivalists at our core. Thank God we are also creatures of free will. We are ingrained with a sense of right and wrong and gifted with control over our own moral compass. Take this as a challenge to be more self-aware and take responsibility for your actions. Establishing good character will surely produce a legacy of excellence.
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