INTEGRITY
I've been thinking a lot lately about integrity and how it is defined. I think most people would agree that to live your life with integrity is to do what you think is right. Especially when that's the harder road to take.
But what does this mean exactly and where does maturity and commitment come into play, as surely these are factors? And how does individuals' commitment to integrity influence the society that we live in?
I believe, for myself, that when my mind, body and soul, or head and heart consciousness are aligned, I can't help but have integrity. And in some ways, that defines intuition for me as well. If I'm not aligned, then something is wrong, and I can 'feel' it. Because I also believe that your heart and mind want to be in alignment. Just like babies have perfect posture, unless they have experienced some kind of trauma.
This is also influence by the physical and external realms. If I'm not eating the right foods, exercising regularly, drinking enough water, or living in a space conducive to heart/mind alignment, then my mind, body and spirit suffer. The effects are obvious to me on a micro scale- I feel stressed, I don't sleep well, I don't feel right in my body, I might get headaches, or get sick etc...So then, how does this inform my experience on a macro level?
I will probably be snappy at members of my family, my employees will see me as moody and temperamental, I get frustrated in traffic, or in a queue at the supermarket. As these behaviours are generally not what I identify with being, and I see the negative effect it has on people around me, I don't feel as though I am acting with integrity.
This affects the macro integrity of the society that I live in, as we all participate in this sphere. Does that mean that wellbeing and integrity are intertwined. One influencing the other?
But what does this mean exactly and where does maturity and commitment come into play, as surely these are factors? And how does individuals' commitment to integrity influence the society that we live in?
I believe, for myself, that when my mind, body and soul, or head and heart consciousness are aligned, I can't help but have integrity. And in some ways, that defines intuition for me as well. If I'm not aligned, then something is wrong, and I can 'feel' it. Because I also believe that your heart and mind want to be in alignment. Just like babies have perfect posture, unless they have experienced some kind of trauma.
This is also influence by the physical and external realms. If I'm not eating the right foods, exercising regularly, drinking enough water, or living in a space conducive to heart/mind alignment, then my mind, body and spirit suffer. The effects are obvious to me on a micro scale- I feel stressed, I don't sleep well, I don't feel right in my body, I might get headaches, or get sick etc...So then, how does this inform my experience on a macro level?
I will probably be snappy at members of my family, my employees will see me as moody and temperamental, I get frustrated in traffic, or in a queue at the supermarket. As these behaviours are generally not what I identify with being, and I see the negative effect it has on people around me, I don't feel as though I am acting with integrity.
This affects the macro integrity of the society that I live in, as we all participate in this sphere. Does that mean that wellbeing and integrity are intertwined. One influencing the other?
posted by Suze at 9:43 PM
6 Comments:
I think it's easier to do the right thing when we're feeling well and our body and head are in the right place. When you're feeling headache because you slept in etc, it's harder to treat people the way you want to be treated - with kindness and giving people the benefit of the doubt. That's what I find anyway.
laaqrk - laugh, quack, have a lark
You know, when I'm not living in my integrity I feel uncomfortable, stressed, and then I act out of my integrity. I am seeing that vicious cycles and positive ones are the way so many things seem to work. Which makes sense, cos it's all waves and waves are cyclical.
So I guess the thing to do is act in my integrity and then the rest follows. I know I'm not acting in my integrity when I'm not feeling good about myself and (therefore) the world around me.
Hmmm interesting line of thought. I think that there has to be some sort of external benchmark for integrity, otherwise some pretty reprehensible people might be harmonious in mind, body, head and heart as they inflict awfullness on others. Society may be part of the benchmark, but society itself can sometimes lack integrity and just isn't "macro" enough.
Not that i have any special insight, but I think that being in harmony with some Bigger Energy has more to do with improving wellbeing than does integrity. Body, mind, spirit.
Interesting point. How does integrity inform wellbeing? So what do you mean by Bigger Energy? God etc? And how is that different to spirit?
Thanks for the tip Jade. It hadn't really occured to me before, the power of the paragraph break. But makes a lot of sense. This isn't an academic writing space, which is what I am used to. So makes sense-sans serif font, lots of breaks. The age of the short attention span!!!
My dictionary seems to agree with you.
1:moral excellence, honesty.
2:wholeness, soundness.
There's a standard that doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room. Sounds like you're doing your best on both.
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