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Family Tradition: Integrity We conduct ourselves and raise our children to be men and women
of integrity. We do our best to live up to the following value statement: I am
honest with myself and I live by my principles. I am strict in my personal
honesty in that I am forthright, genuine and sincere in my dealings with others.
I am independent in that I earn all that I have. "A man's word is his bond" "Trust me", "you can trust me"; how often do we say or hear these phrases? If we expect others to treat us this way then we must each be worthy. When someone does not trust us we are offended, but are we trustworthy? Do we lie on our taxes or accept responsibility to pay our fair share? If we see someone drop some money on the ground, do we keep it or return it? If we get too much change from a cashier, do we keep it or return it? Do we lie about our children's ages at the movies, races, ball games etc. or pay our fair share? In negotiating, do we lie or do we present our side in an objective truthful manner? When we are stopped by a policeman in traffic, do we "take our licks" or do we lie? "Do the right thing" This about sums up Integrity. Whether or not someone knows or is watching us, can we be trusted to "do the right thing"? There is a voice or conscience within us that we can either listen to or ignore. Our conscience is our thermometer of Integrity. Parents, through good and bad example, help a child to shape their sense of what is right or wrong. It eventually falls upon the child as he or she moves into adulthood to take responsibility to listen to their own voice of conscience. Can your friends and family count on you to do the right thing under all circumstances? If you make a mistake do you take responsibility and admit it or do you lie to cover it up? If you wrong another individual do you take responsibility by apologizing and work to make up for the wrong done or make the excuse to just "chalk it up to their stupidity and loss"? "An honest day's work, for an honest day's pay." Regardless of whether or not we like our boss, our fellow workers or our jobs, if we agree to work and get paid, then we owe our jobs our best effort. We can never use the poor performance of another as our own excuse for poor performance. If we are dissatisfied with our circumstances we must make choices to change our circumstances. Honest George Washington was always respected as an honest man. Honesty is defined in The World Book Dictionary as follows: 1. not lying, cheating, or stealing; fair and upright; truthful. 2. obtained by fair means; without lying, cheating, or stealing. 3. not hiding one's real nature; frank; open. 4. not mixed with something of less value; genuine; pure. 5. bringing honor; creditable; commendable. 6. = respectable.1 This is easily understood from the definitions as stated. Forthright Forthright is defined in The World Book Dictionary as follows: 1. frank and outspoken; straightforward; direct. 2. proceeding in a straight course.1 This means that our actions are unmistakable. Our objectives and our reasons for doing things are clear. Very often in our dealings with others there is the tendency to tell people what they want to hear rather than being straightforward with our own reasons for believing what we believe. Then, if we tell the story to enough people, it is easy to forget what we have told each of them because we have so many different reasons for believing what we say we believe. It is a path of deceit. We must at all times know what we believe and why, and use the truth as we know and believe it, as our reason for doing what we do. There can only be one truth in our hearts given the set of facts that we have. If the facts change, then our view or judgment may change but we will at all times know, understand and act upon that which we truly believe. Sincere Sincere is defined in The World Book Dictionary as follows: 1. free from pretense or deceit; genuine; real; honest.1 This means we truly believe in what we are saying or representing to be true. Genuine Genuine is defined in The World Book Dictionary as follows: 1. actually being what it seems or is claimed to be; real; true. 2. without pretense; sincere; frank.1 This means there is absolutely no misrepresentation. Independent Independent is defined in The World Book Dictionary as follows: 1. needing, wishing, or getting no help from others. 2. acting, working, or especially, voting by one's own ideas, not as the crowd does. 3. guiding, ruling, or governing oneself; not under another's rule or control. 4a. not depending on others for one's support. b. enough to live on without working. 5. refusing to be under obligation to others. 6. not resulting from another thing; not controlled or influenced by something else; separate; distinct.1 Society does not owe us a living. Society owes us an opportunity to compete in a fair way to live as we want to live. It is up to us to act and support ourselves. We each make our choices and we each live with the consequences of our choices. Further Study There are many resources on the Internet; some are provided below: Credits 1 World Book 2001 Dictionary. © 2000 World Book Inc. Electronic version by IVD Communications, Inc.
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