Living With Intergrity

Many people reside in this world constantly running around, rushing from one thing to another. Many believe that they are supposed to find a job with decent income so they can support the family. Many believe that earning money is more important than chasing after their dreams. I am not saying that earning money is wrong. After all, if we have money, we can focus more on serving and volunteering.

Have you asked yourself if what you are doing now is in alignment with your values? Or, what you are doing is gearing toward achieving your goals?

To answer these questions, you first have to look at yourself from within. Ask yourself – what do you really want? What is your goal in life? Be honest with yourself about it. Do not hide behind a façade. Do not hide from yourself. Really look deep inside. Do it without judgment. Do it with love. It may help to write these things down.

After you answer the question, the next step is to examine your life. How are you living? Review the goals and priorities you set in order to answer the first question. Does your everyday life reflect your set goals or priorities? For example, you decide your priority is to spend more time with your family. Check your schedule for the week. Does it look like there is any effort in making the time to spend with your family? Or does it look more like all work and nothing else?

Living with integrity is to live your everyday life according to what you value, what your priorities are, and going toward where you set your goals. It is to be honest with yourself. It is to live life as a whole. If you lack integrity, your life may feel divided, fragmented, and simply uncomfortable. You may feel like there is no true direction to go toward, as the way you are living is not gearing toward the direction you want to go. This way of existence does not feel like living. There are extreme cases of some individuals developing unexplained ailments because they are not living according to their values.

In order to practice living as a whole and undivided, you have to decide to live with integrity. Then follows the close examination of your life. If you find your daily activities and lifestyle are out of alignment of your true values, then explore ways to modify your day. Take a look at the above example again. If your true value is to spend more time with your family, you may schedule time to be with them. How about schedule story time with your children before bedtime? Or making breakfast for your family? Or driving your children to and from school? Or schedule family time at least once a week to do any activity together?

Living with integrity and in integrity. This is to align your true values and priorities with your lifestyle, living in the present. This way of living will make you feel complete, purposeful and intentional. You are living according to your true self. You are not hiding from yourself or from other people. This is the way of truly be you, to be in harmony with yourself and with the world.