Integrity

Integrity is a quality that I place prime value on in my life. This isn’t to say I haven’t betrayed myself at times, fallen short of my ideals and expectations, but it means that the discovery of these weak points in my character has made me aware of the importance of being clear about who I am and keeping my Self intact.

Daily we are exposed to ideas and beliefs encouraging us to compromise ourselves, to sacrifice our feelings, opinions and perceptions as meaningless or irrelevant compared to the ‘authority’ of what often amounts to social conditioning and the maintenance of questionable cultural norms. This is particularly true in a consumer driven world, where EVERYTHING is up for sale—bodies, clothes and even kidneys! 

It is vital in an environment such as this, to exercise a degree of skepticism, to question what it is we are being sold and what we are losing or gaining in the process. It is also vital to look at the ways in which we may have been ‘prostituting’ ourselves out (if you can't beat them, join them?) in the mistaken belief that our dreams and ideals are meaningless in a world increasingly dominated by the greed of large, powerful corporations. 

Nothing could be further from the truth! The realization of a future upholding the basic right of all human beings access to such necessities as clean drinking water, sanitation and a living wage, all begin with a vision of an improved tomorrow—a dream. This future stands the best chance of succeeding when we are clear about what is of real value in life starting with the basics that so many of us in the West take for granted--freedom and relative stability. 

Dreams of being a ‘rock star’ of one sort or another, pale in comparison to choosing to give a damn about the quality of life that EVERYONE on this planet has a right to. Our narcissistic dreams will not fulfill us spiritually and yet this is the ideal being advertised and sold all over the Western world. We need to turn things around. Spirit and soul must be priorities now.

It is time to come home to our Self, the Self that is interdependent with a whole world of other Selves. 

We need to get in dialogue with our hearts, to FEEL where life happens internally and live that truth. Integrity is vital. Gather back to yourself all those parts that you gave away in the false belief that they didn't matter or weren’t worth preserving. 

Your Self—your inner life—is all you have. It is the source of your vitality and connection to others. If you have lost some of your zip and zing, consider whether you have compromised your integrity in some fashion. If you have then take it back. Choose to live in harmony with your innermost nature, befriend it, treat it like it matters. 

It sounds trite, on one level, to say that love is the way, but choosing to care about the things that truly bring contentment and joy, is the only thing that has brought me true contentment and joy—self respect, kindness toward others, sincerity. 

Search your heart for the truth. Allow yourself to see what you really see (perception), and feel what you really feel (sense). Experience is the source of all true knowledge. Cultivate this awareness and care for your inner life—they matter.