Chasing the Rainbow (Part 2)

Passion. Integrity. Perspective. Humility.

Integrity.

Synonyms for integrity include: honesty, truth, and principle. In my mind reliability and veracity are most similar to integrity. I honor my integrity. Is that redundant? I don’t think so because what it means is that being reliable and veracious are essential. I look for this in others and am conscious of reflecting this in my personal actions.

What does the woman on the street think it means to have integrity?

The right thing is not always the easy thing. In fact, the right thing is almost always the harder of the choices we make. But if we make a pledge to live our life with integrity, then it means making tough calls and hard decisions. Sometimes the right thing is relatively simple (not to be mistaken for easy). For example, when the cashier gives you back too much change at the supermarket. Do you walk away happy for her error? Or, do you correct her and keep only the change owed?

Sometimes the right thing is incredibly complex; like sticking up to the bully on the playground or confronting a friend about his cheating on a test.



Having integrity gets lonely. Two things play into this feeling of loneliness; 1) people love to gossip; stories get scewed and rumors fly because people have varying perspectives (I plan to talk about perspective in the next segment of this series, "Chasing the Rainbow"); and, 2) it’s hard for people to accept when they have made a mistake without getting angry or offended (remember how having integrity is often the hard choice?). I accept that loneliness, however. I want to be able to Look at myself in the mirror. If I am doing what shows integrity, I can face the naysayers and still enjoy my reflection.

Having integrity means helping people. This is pretty much what I was talking about when I wrote Enough in November of 2011 .  Seriously think about the world IF everybody does the right thing, if everybody helps one another, if everybody gives. Give of yourself, your time, your knowledge, your talents, your shoulder, your smile, your company. To think Anne Frank, at 14-years-old has this figured out 70+ years ago is pretty amazing. (*Anne's essay "Give" is in the last tab of this online exhibit. Listen to it. It will make you think.)

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to come across as self-righteous, but I do believe integrity is about righteousness. It’s about doing the right thing and standing up for what is right. Sometimes it means going against the pack or being the odd-man-out.

How about when no one is watching?

Integrity is my word. It's knowing that what I say is what I mean, what I claim is what I believe, what I demonstrate  is what I expect from others.

I want to live a life of integrity.

-Part 3 of this series , Perspective, to come...soon...