Today's
Meditation:
We
either act with integrity, or we don't. It's really
that simple. There aren't levels of integrity, and we
can't pretend that we're acting with integrity when we
aren't and expect others to believe it. It's
obvious. One of the most difficult challenges we can
face is to act with integrity at all times, even if doing so
may cause us to lose a sale or a contract, or even to lose a
friend or a relationship. But integrity is a quality
that can help us to be happy with our lives because it can
give us a very positive image of ourselves, and that's much
more important than what others think about us.
Integrity
means "wholeness," and it's very telling that when
we act without integrity, we're splitting ourselves up,
dividing ourselves against our own selves. If I know
myself as an honest person but I do something dishonest,
then I create a strong dissonance that affects me in other
areas of my life. Can I talk to my wife or friends in
the same ways if I know that I've done something
dishonest--if I know that they trust me, but I've given them
cause not to?
One
of the most negative aspects of acting without integrity is
that it so often leads to more problems. I might have
done something wrong, but I add to the issue when I lie
about what I did. Did I cheat on my taxes? Most
of us wouldn't admit to doing so if we did, and we would add
lying to the equation if someone were to confront us about
it. It's easy to think about returning something if we
break it immediately, claiming that it was broken when we
took it out of the box, but doing so definitely compromises
our integrity.
I
want to live my life with integrity. I sometimes fall
short of doing so--I'll be the first to admit it. But
I know that with each year, it's easier to live with
integrity because I'm less concerned with what others think
of me and what I do, so I'm looking forward to eventually
living with complete integrity, and enjoying the many
benefits that will come with doing so.
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