Last week we looked at the power of transformation that fall invites us to. I’d like to offer a practical thought about how that transformation can take shape in your life.
A key part of healthy transformation is finding and maintaining integrity.
What’s integrity? When I was a kid, if I made a tough decision to do the right thing, tell the truth, or give something to someone who was in need, my Dad would say, “That was big of you, Lee.” He was affirming my integrity.
Sometimes people will say: “He or she is a man or woman of integrity.” They mean that’s a person who they feel inspired by, an extraordinary person.
So, traditionally, integrity means being a person of high values or living a wholesome life. It also means keeping my word.
But in recent times, the inner aspect of integrity has been the focus. Being sure my actions are in alignment with my own personal convictions, not just an outer standard.
Integrity means being “true” to myself and my own vision. In a certain sense, it means being in touch with what makes me personally happy.
My experience is that a fully alive – and effective – integrity is one that combines these two “branches.” I’d define it this way: Integrity happens when my mission is generous and my mission, words, and actions are all aligned.
Integrity reaches both “down” into that which brings me joy and “out” to the world. This doesn’t mean perfection.
Integrity will include set backs and discoveries. They are opportunities to reflect and realign ourselves. Fall is a great time to for realignment and renewal.
At COR, we hold it that our greatest fulfillment as people comes at least in part from being a gift. In our experience, we’ll never be happy unless we’re giving our gifts. It’s an intrinsic part of a human mission and a part of our vision of integrity.
Here are a few transformational questions to consider this fall:
1. What gift can I personally give or be to the world that excites and fulfills me?
2. What claim (mission, job, vocation, project) will I stake in order to carry out this gift?
3. What actions am I willing (and excited) to take to back up that claim even when it’s challenging? This includes speaking my truth.
When we can answer these questions we’ve got fertile ground for integrity.
At COR, we too have been looking at the gifts we give to the world through our workshops, how we give them, and what we need to do to be even more fully aligned with our vision.
