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It’s time to legitimately acknowledge the necessity of integrity in our personal lives. However, the task of consistently making choices born of integrity presents a formidable challenge. Integrity and ethics are endlessly disputed, as we witness how the absence of personal integrity manifests itself in a violent global climate. If you’re seeking an individual way to improve our current situation, become confident that you can make choices with global impact—your integrity and world peace are inexorably linked. Find out how your quest for integrity and personal peace will better the entire world. You don’t have to look long at current headlines to see that the absence of personal integrity is impacting our global and domestic situation. Decisions made without integrity and ethics are damaging and destroying our fellow human beings along with the environment. From the impact of corporate dishonesty and accusations of our politicians’ questionable pasts, to reports of atrocities in Iraq, we are bombarded with themes of corruption. Integrity’s absence doesn’t end in flashy news stories, however. If you’ve made important personal decisions without making integrity a priority, you have denied yourself a chance at lasting happiness, since integrity and personal peace are inseparable. These personal decisions also have a broader, world impact as well—consider how your choices hurt others or support others. Do understand that, regardless of past choices, the birth of integrity is a regenerative process—you have an unlimited opportunity to begin applying integrity to all present and future actions. That choice will affect the world—while most of us aren’t in a position of direct power to alter vital policy and end the conflict between integrity and war, you must believe that your commitment to personal integrity is a vital factor for our civilization to thrive. Whether at home or in making ethical corporate decisions, when each member of our society chooses personal integrity as their guiding force, we will move toward a liberated and just world that honors each individual. Hence, cruelty and oppression will dissipate. So really consider how you can live a life of integrity. The personal and global reward will be among the most precious gifts in your life. Think of several decisions you’ve made in your life and what motivated you: were you influenced by a parent’s expectations? Did society’s ideal of the “right thing to do” play a role? Perhaps you were greedy or selfish. Or did you act out of a true conviction consistent with your moral standards? Now evaluate the long-term outcome of those decisions. If your motivation came from the first three sources, you likely feel discomfort, guilt, or disappointment. You may be stuck in an inappropriate job, trying to make the wrong relationship work, or enjoying success at another’s expense. However, when you focus making choices born of integrity, you will feel a sense of soundness and confidence in that decision. In other words, you have found the makings of inner peace and the beginnings of the payoff of integrity. This action is an honorable one—a lasting honorable impact on you and others thanks to its integrity. As you acknowledge the necessity of integrity, bear in mind that this level of conviction requires tremendous courage. Integrity and fear are often linked in this manner. In being true to yourself, you’ll often find that those around you don’t understand and support your position. As well, extreme cases will confront rules and regulations you’re expected to follow. Take for example, the recent news from Iraq where an 18-soldier fuel convoy refused to carry out orders due to safety concerns. They recognized that their vehicles, being neither bulletproof nor fast, would make them highly vulnerable in hostile territory. At the time of the decision, the soldiers were subjecting themselves to the possibility of serious punishment, but acted according to personal integrity that motivated them to stand up for themselves in an unfair situation. Such challenging of superiors at any level is a brave move, but so is the mark of a deeply honest relationship with yourself—another component of integrity. While many of our fellow citizens are currently facing the dire reality of battle, your integrity may not meet such dramatic daily challenges. However, if you seek an inner peace that is unshakable regardless of outer circumstances, and if you want to live centered on a passion for who you are, then the growth of your integrity is central in your life. When we speak of the “integrity” of a wilderness area, we’re referring to a place that is pure—an intact ecosystem that is uncorrupted by environmental changes. The same philosophy applies to all degrees of integrity. It must remain intact to thrive. When successful, it will grant you the completeness in spirit and action that will inspire a life of honor, passion, and truth. Now think of those three qualities and imagine the global impact of choices born of integrity. Would we approach the world harmony you wish for if our leaders made consistent choices born of integrity? Remember that in your commitment to integrity. You may not feel that your actions have direct global impact, but positive beliefs are contagious. By making integrity a priority in all actions concerning yourself and others, know that you are making a tremendous difference. |