This is another in our series of posts about Success Values. Remember that we’re defining Success Values as principles, ideals and truths that help ensure your ultimate success in life. Today we’re going to look at Integrity. Integrity is simply doing what you say you’re going to do and meaning what you say. I want to especially emphasize the last part with this: Mean what you say and say what you mean.
Our personal integrity is important not just to our professional success, but our personal relationships and how good we actually feel about ourselves. We can’t expect others to trust us in business or our personal lives if we don’t have integrity.
Would you expect your spouse to trust you if you lied to him or her all the time? Would you expect trust from your business partners or customers if you told them you were going to do A, but consistently did B?
Of course not!
Our integrity tells others what to think of our trustworthiness, but it also tells US about our self-worth. We wouldn’t trust others without integrity, so why would we trust ourselves? Why would we think we’re good enough or valuable enough to deserve success or happiness in life if we don’t mean what we say, say what we mean or do what we say we’re going to do?
Even if we don’t think about it all the time or even some of the time, when we don’t have integrity, our subconscious mind is working against us. It could lead to self-sabotage or just plain allowing yourself to give up on your dreams and goals.
All because we lack integrity.
What if the reverse were true? What if we always did what we said we were going to do? What if we always mean what we say and always say what we mean?
Not only would others like us, want to do business with us and trust us, we would like and trust ourselves. Just as a negative self-image influences our behaviors and beliefs, so does a positive one. Integrity impacts not only your waking life, but also your subconscious mind. This in turn affects how others see you, but how you see yourself, even if you’re not aware of it.
Integrity is beyond measure when it comes to creating the life you want. Have it. Practice it. Expect it from yourself and other, and you’ll go far in life.
