Day 9.... Integrity

If you ever get a chance to ask a group of people to define integrity, you'll get an extremely diverse set of responses. A few will entail high upstanding morals. Some that include being honest and doing good. Well that really is all just rubbish. The bottom line of integrity is doing what you say. The dictionary adds the words "morale principles" but that is subjective to who or what is owning the integrity.

The integrity of my lungs is to breath and pass oxygen into my blood stream. The integrity of my patio door is to let light in, allow for air to come in the house and act as another entrance. It does this. Why is it that we as humans fail horribly at integrity? We do, to our loved ones, to our friends, and especially to ourselves.

In an earlier day, I mention my work with Landmark Education. Another one of the largest points that the organization makes is that without integrity, we can't get very far because we're unreliable. I agree very much with this idea, but mostly when it comes to ourselves.
When looking further into it, I suggest reading this exert from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The parts that I really suggest are sections #1 and #2 on Integrity as Self Integration and The Identity View of Integrity http://http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/integrity/

When I think about losing integrity in my life, I see the largest aspect is myself. I let myself down so much that it's scary. I do it so often that I don't even notice it. I, with a blink of the eye will change plans, will sleep in a little later than I originally said and not run, write, or call someone that I really wanted to speak to. This is a travesty because even though I still am there for others, I can never truly be there for them because I am not there for myself. Then, with that, I lose honesty with myself and trick me into being OK with these ideas, actions, commitments I failed on, for myself. I am putting myself last in so many aspects of life and as long as I continue to do that, I won't be in that great career, in that relationship with a man who is deeply in love with me and my future for anything contains no worth with this habit.

I happen to be an over analyser and also know myself well. Maybe a little too well because the realization of putting myself last isn't a new concept to me. It probably isn't a new concept to any of us, but now is when it has to resonate because now is when I am making this life choice to make sure I do what I say for myself. To do this, for this following week, I am going to begin the day by declaring something I am going to do that has some sense of importance to me that is beyond the basic, "I'm going to get to work on time" or "I'm going to eat healthy at dinner tonight". Don't get me wrong, those are extremely important but for the duration of this path, there must be a little on the line. The outcome of it has to measure up but still be reasonable. My first one will be I am going to submit to 5 new literary agents tomorrow!

There we go, something that weighs a bit, has purpose and can definitely has something on the line.

Once we make this daily declaration, throw it up against our beliefs, wants and needs. How does it look? Is it something that engulfs them or does it just not match. Then, after we've done what we've said, journal it somehow, whether it is in a journal, or just in a planner or a phone call to a friend. Make sure that doing this thing, no matter how small, is celebrated. What did it do for you? How did it make you feel?

Have a great night you amazing people.