The textbook definition ‘integrity’ is the quality of being ‘honest, sincere and having strong moral principles’. But what does this mean? Where does integrity come from and how do you know if you have it? Simple, you know by how you feel inside.
To live with integrity, we must have balance between our two basic natures – our ‘feeling nature’, also known as the ‘unconscious mind’ or ‘heart’, and our ‘intellectual nature’, known as the ‘conscious mind’ or ‘head’. When we are in balance, we have a thought for every feeling and a feeling for every thought. We speak and act in harmony with what we feel inside. We live with inner direction and purpose by following our ‘heart’s desire’, the ‘still small voice within’ or calling that says, ‘For this I have come.’ Integrity starts deep within us and manifests itself externally in everything we feel, think and do.
Who in your life has a lot of integrity? What are their primary qualities?
- Are they genuine, open and sincere?
- Do they speak less and do more?
- Do they mind their own business?
- Are they someone you feel you can count on?
A person with inner integrity is relaxed, open and confident. They are secure in their own direction and do not feel the need to prove themselves to anyone. They are not threatened by the opinions of others, because they respect the right of each person to have their own point of view – even themselves! They are content to follow their own path and happy to adopt a live-and-let-live attitude.
And remember, when you see something positive in someone else, it means you have that in you, too. You must, or you wouldn’t be able to recognize it!
This month we will be keenly attuned to the concept of ‘integrity’; how it is functioning in our daily lives and what it means. We will notice those around us who have it, and those who don’t. Most importantly, we will notice when we are thinking, acting and speaking with inner integrity from our true feelings, or when we are, perhaps, lying to ourselves and covering up what we truly feel. ‘Know thyself’ will be the watchword of the day to guide us toward a life of more inner integrity.
