Be a Person of High Integrity

Copyright (c) 2007 Stan the Mannkey.
The world admires and benefits those that haveI explained my problem to the manager and he
high integrity. If you are a person of integrity, awas understanding and gave me his address and I
person of quality, a person of excellence, thefully intended to mail him a check the very next
world will reward you. This is an important key today I got home. Well, I was surprised how I
being a winner in life and business.hesitated writing that check. I have to admit that
People will be attracted to you, be persuaded byI thought to myself, oh gees, he's miles away, I
you and willing to help you toward your ends, towill never see him again, I could use that extra
do the things that you want them to do.money.
To be a person of high integrity go the extraIt took me about an hour of arguing with myself
mile, do more than you have promised. If you anbefore I finally wrote the check and sent it to
appointment, you are early for your appointment.him. I soon felt good and felt proud, I know I will
You respect the other person's time, you do notnever see him again, but I realize that whatever
come late. That communicates your time is moreyou are doing, someone is watching. Someone is
important than theirs. Which brings me to thewatching, I am not talking about God, although
other issue, some people might say, "But, if Ithat might be true, but there is someone that we
have high esteem, I'm proud and really likeknow is always watching everything you do --
myself, won't I be arrogant?that person is you. You have an observing part
That's not true, unless you think you are betterthat evaluates and judges you. And you know,
than somebody else; that is what arroganceyou know deep in your heart when you are doing
means. Arrogance says "I am better than you."the right thing. When you do the right thing, how
True high self esteem means that you areproud you feel of yourself. And you know when
excellent and the other person is excellent. Youyou do the wrong thing, you might forget it and
regard them as highly as you regard yourself. It isthink that although you did something that was
a win-the win situation.not quite right, you will get away with it. But I
We have been talking about going the extra mile,knew that if I did not pay that bill, that knowledge
doing more than promised, being on time forwould be down in my brain, lurking, just beneath
appointments, respecting the other person's time,my conscious mind and I would not be feeling
making promises that you keep. If you reallyproud and good about myself.
want to go the extra mile, what you should reallyYou want to be able to hold your head up high,
do is under-promise and over-deliver. That is,look people in the eye and you will communicate
promise less but give more than the personsomething to them on an unconscious basis
expects. That will amaze them, they will feel goodperhaps, but they will know you are a person of
about you and you will feel good about yourself.integrity and quality. They will respect you, trust
You can feel good about yourself even whenyou, do business with you and you will accomplish
other people do not feel good about you, but itmore than you ever dreamed that you could.
certainly helps and makes it easier when otherLet me sum up. To have ultimate happiness, you
people feel good about you too.must give yourself unconditional high self regard.
The person of integrity is always honest, whichAccept yourself no matter how many
can be a challenge. I remember sometime ago Iimperfections you have, no matter how many
took my family on vacation to Travis City and onmistakes you make. In order to accept yourself
the way back we stopped at a nice restaurant.totally, you have to do things that are not always
So we ordered a meal. When it came time to payeasy, but things of which you can be proud. Let
the bill, I discovered that I did not have my wallet.me end by challenging you to always be a person
I realized I had locked it in the trunk, along withof high integrity.
the key to the trunk. In those days there wereThis is an important key to being a winner in life
two keys to the cars, an ignition key and a trunkand business.