integrity

I can now see again.

I had no idea how blurry things had become.

things are clear as mud now.

funny, my eyes look brown tonight.

"Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do." Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Would it be presumptuous of me to add a wee bit to Aquinas' thoughts? I mean he is a Saint and everything and I'm far from that. Given this is my speaker's corner, I will conclude that it's a moot question because I have already made up my mind. I'm adding.........

"Ought to" doesn't cut it for me. It simply can't stop at "ought to." Putting our beliefs, desires and knowledge into action is necessary for the salvation of man. What is awareness without action? It's just a bunch of talking clouds floating off on their own. William Glasser would say it is a "Darn good start," but one doesn't affect change, and possibly change for the better if one doesn't apply the goods. Going from the abstract of ideas based on beliefs, desires and knowledge to the concrete application is where integrity formulates.

Put your money where you mouth is? Isn't that the saying? If you're going to talk the talk..........start walking the walk. This shows integrity.

DO something!

Integrity is the stuff of action. It is found in someone who doesn't compromise their beliefs, who recognizes and respects others beliefs, who makes decisions and acts upon them, who is trustworthy and honest, who can be relied upon. A person with integrity cares about doing the right thing even when no one is watching because it is a constant underlying foundation to the person's way of being and seeing the world around them. A person with integrity doesn't dwell in a place of fear, where decisions are second guessed, where retentive constipation swells the brain turning it into a wasteland. Far from it!

Integrity is the stuff of effective leaders who guide by action and interaction. Always aware of the importance of the people they are leading or managing, he or she is not afraid to stand up on principle. Even if a decision is unpopular, one is made based on weighing all information, factors and on how it will impact others. There's no waffling and ruminating because of that second guessing virus. An effective leader is looking broadly at the people he or she is leading rather than wondering how to please the boss, or how to cover one's ass, or how to keep one's fingers clean.

Truth, reliability, care, compassion, candidness.......concern for humanity where everyone is considered equal, these traits, all found under the integrity umbrella are what is necessary for the salvation of man. Not just identifying and discussing them...........showing the behaviour that displays these intentions. A person with integrity is comfortable in their own skin, thereby able to accept that they make mistakes because we are all just human beings.

Though it is a well known quality, one that we all believe is the cornerstone of humanity, it seems to be an endangered one, or at least it feels that way where I'm sitting this week.

Here's a hypothetical situation for you.......a single mom with four kids living in public housing. The plumbing pipes in her basement back up for some reason and spew sewage an inch and a half thick onto the basement floor ruining everything it touches including 4 loads of unwashed laundry. She has to call for help.......and while she waits and waits and waits........her home stinking of shit, her children humiliated in front of the neighbours.......while she waits for the person who could've made a split second decision to send a cleaning company over, she arranges for a pick up truck and a shovel to begin cleaning it herself.

While she's cleaning up this waste, the people who could make a decision to help her continue to waffle on what to do. The powers that be after a day and a half finally decide that it isn't their problem. It is the single mom's problem and it will be up to her to deal with it on her own, knowing she has no spare money to use for a cleaning company. She then calls YOU to help her, to advocate for her...................what would YOU do, given that you have no authority to fix the situation and your dealing with people completely void of integrity? Since I'm already considered a shit disturber, you can guess how I would have handled it. :)

Thank God it is only a hypothetical situation. Heaven forbid that anyone would allow someone and her kids to live in a toxic wasteland for two days and not help them.