BUILDING YOUR INTEGRITY!

Top of the day to you. How are you today? I really hope you're dreaming big. I believe your best days are here and now!

Speaking about dreaming big, you will not be able to live your dream unless you first find the courage to dream big enough to identify what it is. Dare to create a vision for your life that is bigger than the one you've had until now in your relationships, your career and your life in general.

Whilst you can't always control your circumstances, you can always choose how you will respond to them. No matter what challenges you face you have the power to make the ultimate choice about whether to let the world affect you or to go out and affect the world.

Integrity is the only path in life upon which you will never get lost. Placing integrity at the cornerstone of every decision you make requires a willingness to do what is right above what is convenient or expedient.

Integrity means moral soundness, and honesty in everything we do. As a believer who has taken his/her stand in God in all areas of life, there is pressure everywhere; pressure from the society to do things that God kicks against, pressure from work, from friends, family, e.t.c.

The more we stretch ourselves toward accomplishing what we want in life, the more we are presented with the question of whether or not to break our own rules and make compromises.

Compared with the social impositions of moral codes and rules of conduct, we can describe integrity in the following ways:

• Rational thinking and behavior intended for the highest good.

• Clear intention directed toward the best result.

• High intent with follow through.

• The most honorable way to do things.

Integrity is the bedrock upon which all successful relationships are built. For people to build their trust in you and know that they can rely on you, it demands your integrity.

Integrity is also the foundation of trust and respect and if that foundation is weak, it would be impossible to build the required trust.

A person of integrity does not compromise his/her principles because the stakes are small or high. A small lie is still a lie and the theft of five naira is still a theft. A businessperson or employee with impeccable integrity, seeking to climb the ladder in an organization can overcome many obstacles by displaying high integrity.

It is said that those who cannot be trusted at all times cannot truly be trusted at any time. Building trust with others requires time and patience, yet one betrayal, no matter how huge or little, can destroy that trust forever.

So let's pause and ask ourselves; Are we doing the right things at all times? Can we be trusted by other people, let alone God?

Below are steps you can take to build your integrity:

1). Practice honesty in all your communications and actualize your purposes:

You cannot maintain personal integrity in parts of your life -- it's everywhere, or it's nowhere. Besides being honest in your business dealings, you must also practice honesty in dealing with relatives, friends, neighbors, enemies and perfect strangers.

Get in the habit of keeping promises. Do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it (or sooner). Be dependable, not in just one or two areas of your life. Personal integrity means consistency across the board. 2). Don't over-promise:

Only commit to what you truly believe you can actually deliver.

3). Keep track:

Notice when you stray from personal integrity and recommit to getting back on track. Set wrongs right again and make a fresh start immediately.

4). Keep good company:

It is very difficult to increase your personal integrity if you spend a lot of time with unscrupulous people. Surround yourself with people of high integrity and they will uplift and support you in your quest for personal improvement.

You don’t have to wait until you are facing a crisis to decide how you would react. Decide you will not have a price, that you will not under any circumstance sell your integrity for money, fame, power, sex or any anything else.

You might have soiled your integrity in the past but that was then and this is now. Make a decision now that will help you and change not just your life but that of others. Make this commitment today that you will stand for what is right.

The journey of integrity may seem slow but it will always pay on the long run.

Do have a great and awesome weekend.

Selah!

#integrity