High Integrity Living
Integrity is following your heart, as a way of living. Your heart has a lot to say about how you live, how you relate to people, the choices you make.
A person of integrity...
is flexible. Everyone has the intelligence and sensitivity to feel what’s right and needed in the moment. A person of integrity will change their mind or their plan when they realize they were wrong, or another idea/plan is better.
expresses the true and loving impulses of their heart, instead of suppressing them out of pride or fear. If they love someone, they give their love to that person. If they appreciate someone, they say so. Anything less is untrue.
does what they know is right even if they don’t feel like it. Sometimes it’s hard to do what’s right, other times it’s easy. Integrity means doing right anyway.
is responsible for their thinking. They will not indulge in thoughts that grate against their heart. They direct their mind to be honest and constructive, rejecting thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes they are not proud of.
is true to themselves. Integrity is living in alignment with your heart. Your heart wants to dance with life—sensitively, beautifully. It loves rightness, and cries out against wrong. If we all lived by heart, the world would be much better.
When we feel bad about the way we live, we are out integrity. Integrity is living in a way your heart is happy with, and not ashamed of.
It’s an integrity break to…
be rigid. Many people think integrity means always sticking by pride and principles. But in maintaining a rigid position, you’re ignoring your heart’s present responses to life and people. You’re fighting against your heart. That’s not integrity.
withhold your heart. When you hold back your love, your feelings, your tears, or in any way suppress your heart, you are not being true to yourself. And you’re denying your loved ones the glorious heart and soul gifts you have for them.
abandon what you know is right because of preference or convenience. That makes us ashamed. We’re happy and confident when we live in a way our hearts approve of.
indulge in thoughts or beliefs we know are false. We often reactively think things we know aren’t true. A child’s mother says, “You shouldn’t be mean to Granny.” He thinks, “Mom hates me!” even though he knows she doesn’t—and she’s right.
live as someone other than who we are, ignoring what we know and feel—perhaps to play it safe; to fit in; because we’ve judged our true nature afoul; or because we’re not willing to live up to our own standards. “To thine own self be true.”
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