integrity - the little things count

As artists (or aspiring artists), I believe that we cannot reach our fullest potential unless we live our lives with integrity simply because in not doing so, life becomes full of distractions. Everyone knows that if you lie, you end up lying again to "cover" the past lies. That, as a global principal, is reasonably easy to understand. A life of integrity is simpler. If you don't have to worry about covering your tracks, you have more time to concentrate on more important matters.

Recently I attended a lecture about integrity and character. The lecturer said that in times of stress our true character came out. When things are less stressful, we have more time to deliberate about our response. When we are under pressure, we don't have time to think about our reactions and our true character comes through. This made me think about other situations in which our true character comes through. I have come to believe that when it comes to integrity and our character, it is the little things that count.

It is far easier to act in grand gestures than to live with integrity on a daily basis. We all know people who are very pious about going to church but then live their lives in jealousy, gossiping and disrespecting others. Although I don't disagree with the lecturer who said that in times of stress our true character comes out, I think that most people don't act with deliberation in their daily lives and their integrity (or lack thereof) shows through in the little things.

When we live our lives without integrity, it slowly taints all aspects of our lives. A few years ago, a friend told me this story about a coworker. The coworker had gone to a store and turned over her shopping bags to a clerk while she went in to try on some clothes. When she came out she was handed not only her own bags but also another person's bags. When she got outside she realized the mistake. She looked in the bag and realized that the receipts were for cash so she went to the store and returned all of the merchandise. She then took that money and went shopping for herself.

I have never forgotten that story - partly because I was so appalled - but mostly because I had met this lady several times. She had a firm belief that you had to do unto others before they could do unto you. She lived her life in fear that she was going to be taken advantage of, and looking for a way to get an edge over someone else. This woman's lack of integrity showed through in every molecule of her being. Her focus was on protecting herself from being cheated by others. She was so self-centered (in the truest sense of the term), that she did not understand that she was creating her own fear. We tend to believe that other people will act the same way that we would in a given situation. As she was willing to cheat others, she believed others would cheat her. It became the proverbial "vicious cycle". She is truly one of the unhappiest people I've ever met.

How do you face the daily challenges of living a life of integrity? What would you do if the store clerk had given you those packages? What do you do if you find money on the ground? If you find that a store gave you too much change, do you point it out to them and give it back?

Sometimes we act without integrity and don't even realize it. Most of us would not purposely act in a way that we know would hurt someone else. A friend of mine came out of a store and realized that instead of giving her $10 in change, she had been given $20.00. Her reaction was "Praise the Lord" because she needed the money. Because we are old friends, and have the kind of relationship that I felt comfortable in questioning her reaction, I asked her if she really believed that God was responsible for allowing her to profit at someone else's detriment. She simply had not thought about where the money came from. She immediately turned around and went back in the store and corrected the error.

Usually, there is a sense of relief in doing the right thing. It eases our mind. That is a much better state to be creative and artistic than one in which the subconscious pressure of doing something that doesn't feel right is on us. This month I challenge you to look at your reactions. Doing this has been a real eye opener for me. I strive to live my life with great integrity but I have found that often my first instinct was not the best one. Living a life of integrity is living an unselfish life. That can take a bit of effort because it is often easier to walk out with that extra $10 change and make excuses in our mind over it.

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