If there is one character trait that is sadly and sorely missed today it is integrity. Plain, old-fashioned honesty. Disagree? I double-dog-dare you to prove I’m wrong. Sorry. You lose! 🙂
I wish it weren’t so. It used to be a man’s word was his bond. A handshake was enough to seal a deal. A verbal “Yes” was enough to put a deal to rest. We didn’t need 200 sheets of paper filled with legalese that only lawyers can understand. Maybe…
There is a story of a pastor who boarded the bus, and after he took his seat, realized the driver had given him too much change. While some would consider that their good fortune, this pastor came to his stop and told the driver that he made a mistake and gave him too much change. The driver responded: “I didn’t make a mistake. I was in church last night and heard you speak on honesty and wanted to see if you practiced what you preached.” (Side note: I would be in trouble because I tend to pocket my change immediately, often not even counting it. I trust the cashiers to give me the right change. Hmmm. Guess I’ll have to rethink that approach). 🙂
Living with integrity these days is a challenge. It is not the norm. Sure we have our leadership gurus who talk about it and stress its importance, but it often hits deaf ears. It is a known and much-needed quality. But just because we know it doesn’t mean we do it.
I once read a quote by humorist Will Rogers: “So live that you wouldn’t mind selling your pet parrot to the town gossip.” That made me chuckle and think at the same time.
Mr. Businessman or Ms. Businesswoman. Pastor. Nurse. Doctor. Teacher. Student. Whatever you do, do it with honesty and integrity. It is sometimes hard to do so, and sometimes tempting not to, but so worth it in the end.
