“This above all; to thine own self be true.” – William Shakespeare

What is integrity?

What does it mean to be in integrity?

If you look up the word “integrity” in the dictionary you will learn that it comes from the Latin word, “integer” which means “whole”. Integrity is an unreduced or unbroken completeness, wholeness, totality, incorruptibility. It is an unimpaired condition and the quality or state of being complete and undivided. Integrity is found in a state of being who you are and, allowing others the same right.

When you are “in integrity” you are in alignment with who you are at your deepest core; your truth. In any area of your life where you struggle your thoughts and actions are out of integrity, you are not behaving in alignment with who you are.

“The voice within is what I’m married to. All marriage is a metaphor for that marriage. My lover is the place inside me where an honest yes and no come from. That’s my true partner. It’s always there. And to tell you yes when my integrity says no is to divorce that partner.” – Byron Katie

To live in alignment, in integrity with who you are you:

Speak what you know to be true even if it may cause conflict. Ask for what you need and want from others. Behave according to your personal values. Make decisions based on what is true for you, not the beliefs of others. When you are in integrity with who you are, life flows seemingly effortlessly. When you are acting in ways that are not in alignment with your truth you don’t feel good. You may be frustrated or upset. You may think less of yourself and beat yourself up over the choices you have made.

“But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?” – Albert Camus

You continue to create your experiences through the thoughts, emotions, choices and actions that you take. Be mindful of your daily thoughts. Are they in alignment with who you are? Be mindful of what words come after your sentences beginning with “I am”. As an artist, for example, if you notice that you often say to yourself, “I’m not creative enough”, then you are out of alignment. You are not in integrity with who you are. And it is in this state of being out of alignment that you feel that you are not enough.

I’ll state it again because it is that important: You continue to create your experiences through the thoughts, emotions, choices and actions that you take. If your thought is “I’m not creative enough.” then you will create more experiences of not being creative enough. When you notice a thought that is out of alignment turn it around. Change “I’m not creative enough.” to “I’m a creative person in the process of creating.”. Truth is, you are a creative person – albeit a creative person holding herself back at the moment with a misguided, out of integrity, thought. Be mindful of what you say to yourself and others. Be mindful whether or not those statements are in or out of alignment with who you are. Think and act in integrity with who you are and observe how your life transforms from one of struggle to creative flow.

Every day you make a bajillion choices. Stay in bed for another few minutes or get up and greet the day? Start or continue to work on your project or act upon a distraction? Fries or Salad? Go to the audition or stay home? Promote your work or give up because of ‘the economy’? Plastic or Paper? Yes or No?

Choices require decisions. A state of indecision is a decision. Is there a decision you are about to make that might be in conflict with your integrity? How can you tell if a decision is out of integrity with who you are?

It’s simple, really. Just ask yourself a few questions and you’ll know whether or not the decision you made is in integrity with who you are.

How do I feel about the decision I just made? Do I think more or less of myself having made this decision? Is this decision based upon ‘should’ or ‘supposed to’ beliefs of others? Is this decision in alignment with my greater good? Who will I be having made this decision? “Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, ‘Something is out of tune.” – Carl Jung

If you genuinely care about what you create for your future and want to live in authenticity with who you are you must take responsibility for your thoughts, emotions, decisions, actions and outcomes, which result in your experiences. Honor your soul with choices that are in integrity, in alignment with who you are.

Make sure your words and your actions are congruent. Know what you know. Know that you know what you know. Know that you know what you know what you know. And be true to that knowingness. Your internal wisdom. Your intuition. The Wizard Within.

“Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do.” – Don Galer

Pay attention to what you say to yourself and others. Be mindful whether or not those statements are in or out of alignment with who you are. Think and act in integrity with who you are and observe how your life transforms from one of struggle to creative flow.

Copyright © 2009 Valery Satterwhite

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Various research organizations around the world have discovered that lack of “Peace of the Mind” over a prolonged period could lead to illnesses such as mental disorders, stress, panic attacks, depression, anxiety, restlessness, sleeplessness and overeating.

In some cases, the prescription has been some “long doses of practical therapy on acquiring peace of mind” without any need for medication. In other cases, depending on the level and intensity of the illness, medication is administered in combination with therapy treatments.

When you are true to yourself, you are producing and emitting a very powerful energy that attracts like bees, because this intelligence within you will glow as “original”, it’s hot and it’s brilliant.

OK, let me just illustrate this with some examples:

We know that all over the world, people generally admire original work, for example, an original painting will be admired closely by those who are interested and highly motivated in this area of work.

The World Famous Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci, painted between 1503-1506 is still fascinating to this day, due to the unique and subtle modelling of forms and qualities, which gives it that “original” personal creativity that people love.

And people still admire this creative work with curiosity as to what was going on in the Creators mind when he was painting this masterpiece. It’s not surprising that this admiration for Mona Lisa still goes on, many years after Leonardo’s death in the year 1519.

Another example is the case of entertainment shows like Britain’s Got Talent, America’s Got Talent, which has captured the world all over. These ideas were pure creative thoughts starting from the “Mind at Peace with Itself” of the Creators.

The same would apply to original Music, Creative speeches such as President Obama’s famous Speech in 2004 in Boston, Massachusetts, well before he was elected or any other work that is purely original.

So, the interest generated by those who take time and make the best efforts to create from within is usually Captivating and Magnetic.

For example, if you go back, right back to the principal of anything in life, being creative and true to yourself is fascinating and enjoyable, because you could do it all day without noticing time go by and without strain or anxiety.

Having Peace of Mind to be Creative also captivates other people around you with a sense of encouragement or a feeling of higher aspirations for themselves, knowing that they too can create “peace of mind” and happiness by “enquiring carefully from within”, and then taking the necessary steps to get there.

Peace of Mind takes you to a different level of thought power and sets your mind to discover your own unique personality from within.

So you connect with your inner self in your own special way because this makes it natural to you, even as you go through challenges.

You’ll then appreciate that going through challenges is part of life and as long as you live, you’ll have challenges, so why not co-operate with your inner mind in harmony with yourself, seeking the peace of mind that afford you to fully understand yourself and what you want in life on a deeper level.

You see, some people just drift through life, and then wonder why things just don’t improve in their lives.

All that can change by carefully and gradually getting in tune with your life’s true desires, slowly but steadily.

The exercise of creating “Peace of Mind” should be practiced diligently until “Peace of Mind” is felt from within. Then the habit of maintaining peace of mind should be continued on a daily basis.

In doing this, there must be no mental hurry, strain, or anxiety to the body because when you have peace on your mind in harmony with your inner self, you are connecting with your true inner mind’s desires, understanding that “Peace of Mind” can skyrocket your creative abilities in a magnificent way.

Now, you may ask, how can this process be started when there seems to be so much for people to juggle with in modern day living?

OK, the first thing here is learning how to Relax, so that you can start on a platform of absolute relaxation because this is where you’ll begin to discover your own peace of mind.

Examples of how to start include:.

Breathing and Medication Exercises

You can start with simple breathing exercises and meditation. Look for a quiet location and make yourself comfortable, now take a few deep breaths then exhale with a feeling of ripples of relaxation going through you.

Make this a very personal experience and gradually peace of mind would begin to transpire as part of your personal life. Feel your body accepting this peace of mind and totality basking in your ideal peaceful desires. Make time to do this at least 15 minutes daily, believing that you already have it.

Images of Your Ideal Peaceful Scene

Create mental images of your Ideal desires surrounded with Peace and Love around you. Ask yourself questions like – what would give me a feeling of absolute peace right now? Make this picture as realistic as possible for you, and keep this picture steady in your Mind daily, with absolute belief.

Simple Positive Self Talk

Aim to communicate positively with yourself and others around you on a daily basis and repeat statements like the following at least 20 times a day, once again, believing that this is you, creating absolute peace in your Life.

Ok, let’s say this together:

“I have absolute Peace of Mind in my life and this Peace of Mind affords me a fuller expression of things that I do, in harmony with my true creative energy”

Or you could say:

“Peace of Mind is always present and improving in my life on a daily basis”.

Understand that for some people, it may take some time for these statements to sink in, but do not concerned yourself of this because just as you eat food, this is “Peaceful” food for your mind.

At the same time, don’t seek anxiously to measure how this “Peace” is working within you.

Why?

Because it’s working on a subconscious level and in time it will begin to transpire in your daily life just as you proclaim and believe it.

Other sources of peace of mind would include your favourite music, walking in natural surroundings, your hobby, helping others understand and express peace in their lives, and living with a mental attitude that cultivates peace of mind.

And what would all this do for you?

It will eventually afford you the absolute pleasure of discovering your very own unique “Joy of living” that comes from deep within you. It builds harmony with your conscious and subconscious mind, allowing you over a period of time to eventually become Master of your own environment and circumstances around you, wherever you may be.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.