Inherent - Pt 1 // INTEGRITY

What comes to mind when you think of the word INTEGRITY? Simply put, integrity is all about one thing...honesty.

What is cool though is how the word INHERENT is defined...which is "Existing in someone or something as a permanent and inseparable element, quality, or attribute."

So let me ask you this: Is integrity inherent in you? Is it a permanent fixture in your life? Can it be separated from who you are as a person?

For many, this could be a problem. Cause the answer to that question may very well be "no." If that's the case, I get it. I struggled with that in the past. It was easier to try to hide shortcomings and mistakes with a little white lie that was, at the moment, harmless. Yet, in the long run, it wrecked shop in my life. Why was this a problem for me though? Cause I didn't want to be seen as the perpetual screwup. Well, guess what, it didn't work. It actually backfired (as, in hindsight, it always does.) And I found myself now being the guy who screw up, and also the guy who nobody trusted.

There is a big difference in messing up and being trusted, as opposed to messing up and not being trusted. Trust has the power to make even the biggest of issues something that can be dealt with in a mature fashion. Integrity is the catalyst for trust. Even if trust is broken, having a heart that is honest, both by nature and by choice, healing can happen. I admit, its easy to sweep it under the rug, but what is easy is not always best.

So, as hard as it is sometimes, next time you are face to face with the person who is asking you if you did something (and, in this case, let's say you did do that something), I want to challenge you to own it and speak truth. But, that's not all, this challenge comes with an invitation...and that invitation is to....

Live in peace.
Reduce stress and anxiety.
Get better sleep.
Not have to remember every detail you told someone.
Build strong relationships.
Know that your word is your bond.
Be respectable.
and the list goes on.

If this is a struggle for you, begin now by committing to making sure everything that you do and every word that flies out of your mouth is filtered through integrity. And, if you're in the middle of something where you have displayed a lack of integrity, then I challenge you to this: pick up the phone, go sit in the chair across the table from, or get face to face with the person you've displayed this to and let your apology be one that comes with life altering action, rather than quick fixes.