Understanding the
Definition of Integrity..
Will
Help You Develop Your Character and Sense of Self!
In the Webster's
Dictionary, the definition of integrity is defined as "Uprightness of
character, honesty; the condition, quality, or state of being complete
or undivided." The synonyms for integrity are truth, honor,
reliability, and veracity.
Having integrity
means you know yourself well enough to not settle for anything that
doesn't represent your values, beliefs, and overall well-being.
Values,
Character, and Integrity
Valuing something
means you place a certain concept, idea, and/or need as a high priority
in your life. Basically, value represents what you view as important in
your life. Here are some common examples of value:
Self-worth
Career
Happiness
Family
Success
Money
God
Fulfillment
Security
Love
Helping Others
Enjoyment
Can you list your
top three values? And are you actually living your values?
Let's look at an
example of how to determine your top three values. I'll use my values
as the example...
My top three values
are ..
- Having a healthy
relationship with myself
- Spending time
with my husband, and
- Helping others.
How did I come up
with these three values? Well, I thought about what I honor, respect,
and invest my valuable time in the most..
So, let's look a
little deeper at my number 1 value! What do I actually value about
self-worth?
What I value the most about my
self-worth is..
- How I am a
determined and passionate person.
- How I respect
myself when I need to relax, need to exercise, and need to eat healthy.
- How I am able to
communicate to others about how I am feeling.
- How I am aware
of my own self-talk and careful not to abuse myself in anyway.
To understand the
definition of integrity you need to investigate everything about your
life that you value. And that includes determining whether or not you
are actually living these values.
Let's use another
example of someone else's value system...
Ann has listed her top three values
as..
- Family
- Friends
- Happiness
However, she has
noticed that she isn't living any of these values.
Instead she has noticed that her lifestyle reflects the values of...
- Money
- Travel
- Success
If you are like Ann
and you are not living your values, make it a
priority to change your lifestyle and beliefs. You can do this by
making a choice to change your way of living. For example, if your
number 1 value is family, yet you are spending the majority of your
time making money, it may be beneficial for you to set some time aside
and visit with family.
The most important
thing to remember here is this..
Respect yourself
enough to stay true to
your values, beliefs, character, and overall uniqueness. Do not allow
yourself to represent anything other than that. And if you are able to
do this, you will be the role model for the definition of integrity.
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