Integrity: Your word is your bond

Integrity. You’ve heard me talk about this for quite some time now. Having integrity toward others and more importantly, toward yourself is a wonderful thing. But it’s not just given; it’s earned. And it can be lost easily.

As Don Miguel Ruiz said in The Four Agreements, “Be impeccable with your word.” You’ll know you have integrity once you’ve transformed and live in a way that reflects your values…especially when no one is watching and you’re only accountable to yourself. That’s the key: I am accountable to myself and my source. I’ll know if I’m not acting with integrity.

Can you be counted on?

 Are you being impeccable with your word?

 Before recovery, it might not have seemed like the end of the world if I didn’t follow through. But that leads to a cycle of not being trusted and feeling the guilt of not being reliable. And there’s resentment as well from both others who can’t count on you and from yourself, because you know you’re not living up to your own standards.

Ask yourself: are there times people don’t trust you? Without integrity, my word meant nothing, and that’s exactly how I felt about myself. Through recovery, I rebuilt my integrity step by step. At first, it was tough. People kept asking, “Are you sure you’ve got this?” But now, if I say I’ll do something, I do it. If I can’t, I don’t commit. It’s that simple. It’s about boundaries.

Are you showing integrity to yourself, to your family, to your recovery? Start small: make a commitment and keep it. Then build on it. Instead of guilt, you’ll find an unprecedented feeling of pride.

With integrity and trust my friends

Mike