Become Your Ideal Self – 5 Tips to Help Live With Integrity kathryns-blog.com /5-tips-to-help-live-with-integrity/ Kathryn Everybody has that vision in our head of who we want to be. That perfect scenario of actually being that person sounds great but for most of us we will never really get there – and that’s not such a bad thing. Self-Improvement is a journey not a destination. Living with Integrity sounds great but how do we do it practically? What does it mean and how do we know we are doing it? Here are five tips.
1. Be clear on what you believe is right or wrong and what you value. Life is not clear cut and I don’t like it when people pretend it is. I’ve met a lot of very good people and a lot of very bad people, both have very good points and also their imperfections. If things were easy and clear there would be a lot less confusion in the world. Either way, a good start is to decide what you believe is acceptable and what is not. Write it down if you need to. While you’re at it write a list of the things you value too. The point of this is so that when you get into a situation that seems a bit sticky, you aren’t muddled in the head as to what you should do. You can make a decision quicker and stand up for what you believe in. It’s an important part of knowing yourself – which is the first step in self-awareness and growth.
2.
Your word is gold
Say what you mean and mean what you say. I suck at this as a parent actually. I say “yeah go ahead” before really thinking, usually about the mess I will have to clean up after haha. Your word needs to mean something. This is just so fundamental. If you need time to think about something before you agree to it then take it.
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This also extends to being honest with yourself – which can be very painful and hard. We don’t want to see the worst in ourselves because we want to go to sleep at night. And conversely, we shouldn’t beat ourselves up and blame ourselves for other people’s problems.
3.
Take responsibility
Another big one that people don’t do enough of. You are responsible for what you do and what you don’t do. This is your life, your brain, your body, your only chance. Embrace responsibility because I can assure you, it is incredibly empowering. Victims are never responsible.
4.
Work on your Moral Reasoning Skills
This is a long term one and part of Seeking Wisdom. A very good way to test where you are at right now is the Heinz Dilemma. I’m going to quote it directly from Wikkipedia: A woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to produce. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman’s husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $1,000 which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said: “No, I discovered the drug and I’m going to make money from it.” So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man’s laboratory to steal the drug for his wife. Should Heinz have broken into the laboratory to steal the drug for his wife? Why or why not? Credit: cpsblog.isr.umich.edu Have a think about what your answer would be. There isn’t actually a wrong one, but what you learn about yourself is what stage you are at in moral reasoning skills. Don’t cheat now! Think about how you feel, and then you can click here and see what stage you are. Your reasoning skills will be different depending on the topic. I personally have not lost anyone to cancer, nor have I invented anything that has been patented, so my response to this scenario isn’t as emotional, but if you have then that will certainly impact your reasoning skills… naturally.
5.
Raise others up
Lastly, if you want to live with integrity, don’t beat others down. There are enough compliments in the world for everyone. We can all be awesome flawed people. I’m not talking about fluffing someone’s feathers needlessly, sucking up or complimenting someone for something haven’t deserved. Find a genuine reason to compliment someone and say it. The point is that you are being genuine, people value that.
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Sooo…. Living your life with integrity is part of who we define a “wise” person to be. Be clear about what you will put up with and what you won’t. Be honest with yourself and with others. Take responsibility for your life and your thoughts. Work on your Moral Reasoning Skills and lift others up not squash them down. Being someone of good character is a long term investment, especially in the work place. Respect isn’t given, it’s earned. Always be faithful and honest and true. Take Care. Digital Marketer and Entrepreneur You can find me on Facebook Email me at: Kathryn@WomenSeekWisdom.com Check out my Home Page
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