Do you think that you can do whatever you like in small things, and be ok as long as you’ve no major lapses? No. Whether you steal ten cents or a million dollars, you’re still a thief. The Oxford Dictionary defines integrity as – honesty. Every time you break a moral principle it becomes harder, not easier, to act with integrity. Everything you’ve done in the past, including the things you’ve neglected to do, comes to a head when you’re under pressure. That’s why developing integrity requires constant vigilance.
Here are ways to keep your integrity:
(1) Keep your promises. When you make a promise you create hope. When you keep a promise you create trust.
(2) Acknowledge your mistakes. When your decisions don’t turn out the way you intended, you owe people an explanation.
(3) Apologize and try to make amends. When your actions hurt others, you need to admit that what you did was wrong and say you’re sorry. This is usually very painful in the moment. But not only is it the right thing to do, it can actually shorten the agony and help you to put the incident behind you.
