How to discover your Integrity and Morals.

The gift of Integrity

            Integrity is not something we are born with, nor can we go out to buy it. It does not come in a box with a pretty little bow. It would be nice if it were so easy, but it’s not. Integrity is something you have to grow from within. For me personally, it wasn’t until I got older and had lived life for a while that all the pieces came together.

First, I learned the value of my word and honesty. And then from experience I slowly began building my moral compass. I developed a sense of what’s right and wrong. I began to figure out what my ethics and morals are. Only once I realized I had these values, I really began to live them and use them as my moral compass.

          You can do the same. First, you have to be honest with yourself and come to accept your belief system. What personal truths do you live by? It’s not something that is a trend. It’s not what’s popular now. It’s what you know down inside you, what you know to be right and fair. So start asking yourself questions, put them down and paper, and really look at them. What are your answers? Get in touch with your moral compass. Put aside petty thoughts and jealousy and empty desires. What do you know to be right in your heart? Whatever your answer is, that’s what goes in your moral compass.

          Once you’ve got your values figured out, put yourself into the frame of mind to start following your moral compass. Start to live by your compass. If something is wrong by your moral standards, don’t do it, even if no one else will ever know about it, because you’ll always know about it! Having integrity is about being able to look in the mirror every night and feel good about yourself. That’s where you will get your confidence from, that’s why you’ll be able to persevere when times are rough, because you know you made the right decision. You have to draw a line in the sand and live on the right side of it.

Don’t confuse this to mean that you should be going out and preaching to people about your morals and values or be judgmental. No one likes that. What I mean, is that you should live by your moral compass. Live by example and those who are inspired by you will respect you and maybe even follow your example.

You will also find that certain people are uncomfortable with your integrity—usually people who are manipulative and ignore their own morals. These people probably won’t want to work with you or be friends your friend. Accept it and let them go. They are not the type of people you want in your support system anyway. Still, always remember, regardless of who you work and interact with, whether they’re good or bad, always treat people fairly and follow your moral compass. Being spiteful or trying to retaliate a wrong is as sure to ruin your integrity as lying is.

          Share with me about your thoughts on Integrity, I love to hear from you.

Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action

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• The Six Stages of Ethical Understanding (slowleadership.org)
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