Integrity

In today's society, integrity is severely lacking. Period. Relationships of convenience come and go; people propel forward with little consideration of the ones they are stepping over in their path. Hurting souls cry out for help and we walk on by, figuring they deserve to be where they are and deserve to remain there.

Wikipedia reveals integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy, in that it regards internal consistency as a virtue. As such, one may judge that others "have integrity" to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold. (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrity)

Have there been times in your life where maybe things weren't going your way? Down on your luck? Made you made some mistakes that left you with a sense of condemnation or shame? What turned it around for you...was it a person of integrity that remained there with you without judgement, maybe was inconvenienced by you, went against the grain to defend your honor but still remained "in the fire" with you until things settled and corners were turned?

Or maybe there was a time you could have taken the easy way out; bowing to the current instead of swimming up stream; making a tough judgement call even though many said "you didn't have to do that"; looking out for YOUR best interests instead of the interests of others?

In this day and age of overwhelming media connectivity, we are quick to discard people, passions, and honesty for self-gain. Life isn't a snap shot...it is a large canvas painted with all of the trials and victories we've endured. Living with integrity shouldn't be a moment to moment decision but a way of life. Doing the right thing isn't easy but at the end of the day, when the house is quiet, and the sky is dark, your head can lie on a pillow without regret or the sense that you could have done a little better with your day.

Integrity is something people see in you, your words and and your actions. Are you a person of integrity?