A Heart With Integrity Always Does The Right Thing
A heart with integrity will always do the right thing when no one is looking. It does not need an audience or praise for its good deeds. At heart, integrity is paramount. It is a necessity to be able to live in harmony with what our own conscience dictates.
Some say that integrity is a trait that is dying out and rarely seen in modern societies. It is said that justice of one’s character and an immaculate, noble soul does not abound in our workplaces. Instead of worrying about the ideals of others or looking at screens that reflect us to find inspiration, the most important thing is to be whole with ourselves.
To behave with integrity, an obligation, but also a personal right
It is enlightening to see that in Latin “integer” actually means “whole”. From this the concept forms a unit which has not been damaged or broken, which has not lost its wholeness in any way. Aristotle, for example, also defines “whole behavior,” as a quality as an inner breath that is directly related to our willingness to do the right thing without anyone having to monitor it.
So far, we have not been able to prove that in all these definitions there is a clear personal component. We are sure that at some point you have experienced the clear sensation that your integrity was violated so much that you started doing and saying things that you do not mean or feel. We can understand this through some examples:
- Our education or the bond that we establish with our family can make us feel more than once that our rights are being violated, by forcing us to do things that we do not want to do. Things we do not believe in.
- The same thing happens in romantic relationships. Factors such as manipulation or emotional blackmail are fences with thorns we feel like running into. They cause us to lose our integrity or wholeness. Until we finally respond eventually.
- The dynamics that are sometimes established in the workplace are a clear example of the violation of workers’ integrity. To perform tasks that they do not feel like or that are forbidden. They feel exploited but can not react due to fear of losing their job… This is without a doubt very common.
We all have the obligation, but also the right to be whole and to have integrity. For our self-esteem is ultimately the agreement created between actions and emotions, between desires and actions. If third parties break this balance, we could be hurt. Therefore, we should never forget this: a heart with integrity requires lots of courage.
Learning to live with integrity
We are often reminded of the fact that in life you should always speak with honesty, think with sincerity and act with integrity. But who establishes what it means to have integrity? The answer is simple. Our own conscience.
We already know that a heart of integrity is associated with self-confidence. Let us keep in mind this set of dimensions with which we can defend this incredible quality:
- Behave every day in such a way that when you lie down at the end of the day, you have no regrets about what you said, did or did not do. Be consistent with every step you take and with every action you take.
- If there are personalities around you who lack ethics and spiritual integrity, this should not deter you nor make you imitate them. Be the light among the empty hearts. Be your own example, your own soothing voice.
- Defend your integrity as if it were your life. Establish boundaries, build walls for those who bother you or say something you do not believe. Make sure you can always know yourself every time you look in the mirror.
Be the best example for your children, for integrity cannot be learned from books. Integrity is observed, it is felt… And above all, it is defended.
