Something has been on my heart lately…
in·teg·ri·ty
-
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 don’t believe this concept applies to the “little” things. From your health and cleanliness to positivity and responsibility, integrity can be applied in all we do. These little decisions we leverage, for a few selfish minutes, have the grand consequence of a mediocre life. Cliché here > The little things make up the bigger picture!
ex·cuse
-
attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify.
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 and we choose the weight of affirmation. Living with integrity does not make your life more difficult, it frees you from the strife of over-compensation. We are not doing ourselves any favors by being lazy and taking short cuts. Please understand, this is no “high and mighty” speech. Only one man has ever lived a perfect life, but we have the capacity to improve in all things and integrity is a trait in continuous growth. So, let’s start with admitting that we could try a little harder.
free will
-
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 and not victims of debilitating qualities. We are ingrained with a sense of right and wrong, and gifted with control over our moral compass. Who was ever condemned for doing their best or treating others the way they would want to be treated? Take this as a challenge to be more aware of your actions. Establishing good character will surely produce a legacy of excellence. Be a model for good character…an inspiration for lost hope.
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