Integrity is adhering to the moral principles of life. Integrity is doing things with honor. Integrity is honesty. And integrity is the glue that holds relationships together.
Integrity says, “I wish to pay fair price for all value. Getting something for nothing makes nothing of me. Getting it cheap makes me cheap.”
In your enlightened self-interest, this is one of the better affirmations you could make: “I wish to pay fair price for every value. I wish to give for everything I receive.” This is self-interest, and it’s also integrity. Why would you want to pay for every value and give for everything you receive? If you have to pay, it will make something of you. By giving, you have the integrity not to take advantage of others.
You hear of greedy people boasting about the great deal they just got, how they negotiated the price down to nothing, how they manipulated the other person out of making a profit. Good integrity won’t let you do that. We all shop for the greatest value at the best price, but not at the expense of others. Not when your great deal cheated someone out of their profit.
You’ve got to pay a fair price for someone else to do a job for you. Because if you don’t, they’ll never work for you again. They don’t want to work long, hard hours to make you look good and not get compensated for it. And your integrity won’t allow that to happen. Pay an honest price for an honest value. Give something in return for what you’ve received. Make it good for everybody involved. Don’t be cheap, be fair. It’s your integrity that’s on the line, not just a few bucks. If you want something badly enough, you have to pay for it. Why? Because of what paying for it will make of you.
Here’s a great story about integrity. When the Apostle Paul was about to die, he spoke about the reputation he wanted to leave behind. He made three powerful statements, and here’s the first: “I fought a good fight.” Let that be your reputation. You fought a good fight. You kept away the ideology that could taint your children. You fought every enemy that ever threatened you. You protected the children and the home front.
Let that be your reputation. It doesn’t matter whether or not you won. You fought for your integrity. You fought for honesty. You fought for success. You didn’t leave any energy unspent.
Apostle Paul’s second statement was, “I finished the task.” I stayed until it was done. They gave me a task, and I finished it. I didn’t leave it half done. I never walked off the court in the third quarter. I stayed.
Statement number three: “I kept the faith.” Boy, that’s important. Keep faith with your family. Keep faith with your church. Keep faith with your enterprise.
In the group I (Jim Rohn) belong to, we pledge our unwavering confidence in each other. Each of us pledges that to all of us. I wish for you to be in a group that has so much integrity. You need to be involved with people who pledge and keep your confidences.
Develop the reputation of integrity, so no matter where you go, you will represent your family well or represent your company well. Your goal is success in the service of others, not at the expense of others. At the end of your road, you want to be able to say, “I fought a good fight, I finished the job, and I kept the faith.”
That last part, keeping the faith, is not that easy. The Lord’s Prayer says, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Help us keep integrity in spite of the evil, in spite of going through the valley of the shadow of darkness. Deliver us from the fear that evil will dislodge us from our integrity.
Keep the faith of the office. Keep the faith of the company. Keep the faith of the family, of your spouse, and of your children. Keep the faith of the church. Keep the faith of the community.
Wherever you go, represent your family well. Wherever you go, represent your group well. Wherever you go, represent your colleagues well. Let part of the bond of friendship be that whatever each of you are, you will represent all of you well.
Apostle Paul finished his dying wish by saying, “I understand there’s a crown waiting for me… and I deserve it.” Wouldn’t it be great to say, “I hear they have a trophy for me. Guess what? I deserve it.” What a magnificent story to leave behind: I fought a good fight; I finished the job; I kept the faith; and I deserve the crown.
Others you associate with may not have the integrity to leave such a legacy behind, but you can’t make that your concern. Let other people lead small lives. You are destined for something better.
* Source: Leading an Inspired Life by Jim Rohn