Why integrity matters

Integrity is very important for every individual. To maintain integrity, you have to deny yourself certain things. Integrity is staying on what is right/or what you know to be right depending on the situation you are in.

Protecting the legacy of integrity is the duty of all and is not limited to some individuals. Integrity requires that every individual tells the truth regardless of how inconvenient or how uncomfortable it is.

Below are some values of integrity necessary for every individual to incorporate in their lifestyle to be successful.

*Truthfulness: Involves telling the truth at all times.

*Righteousness: Involves doing what is right at all times

*Performance: It’s doing/performing according to what you know is important or right. This exists in relation to the degree of confidence you have in what you are doing.

*Discipline: Involves doing what you ought to do.

*Accountability: Being accountable for your actions.

VALUE

Everyone is sent into this world to fulfil a purpose. No one is here on his or her own and there is someone we are accountable to. Oftentimes, we fail to remember we were born to fulfil a task and failure to fulfil that task means we have failed.

Values are those things we do and get involved with. Values can best be described as considering others’ interest in whatever you do. Values are spoken about because there are multiple interests to be taken into consideration in decision-making and actions to be taken.

Values come with responsibilities, to do what is expected of you, the necessity, to share the ability to work with others to achieve a goal. Success is measured by the relationship you share with other people and it can be measured in the context of what you aim to achieve.

Values are required by young people to start up in life. It defines who you are, and what would shape you in your life journey and of course, it begins at home. While values are first taught at home, an individual can also cultivate other values by learning from society.

Through what an individual has been taught at home and congenital ability, an individual should be able to discern what is wrong and right. It is important to note that individuals do not manifest the same values because we have not gone through the same learning process and not everyone would agree with us.

Every individual comes to a decision whenever his or her values are tested. It is therefore up to such an individual to uphold his or her values by making the CHOICE that aligns with his or her values.

CHOICE

Every individual has a purpose to fulfil and in the process of fulfilling that purpose (purposes), choices have to be made. The choices made by an individual in the course of his life shape his or her journey. Each individual is obliged and at liberty to choose what to do and what not to do. To make a choice, there are questions to ask such as; does what you are about to do align with your values, does it align with your purpose, are others’ interests considered in what you are about to do? While an individual asks him or herself this question, the answers will be a guide to make a choice which can either be good or bad.

In choosing individuals, there are situations in which one will make the wrong choice resulting in what is called a MISTAKE. Mistakes are evidence of two things; that you tried and when you make a mistake, you try to correct it. For individuals, mistakes are part of the learning process and the only way to learn through mistakes is to try rectifying them as it is impossible to make the right choice at all times.

In choosing friends, there is the necessity of value and attitude. When an individual makes friends whose attitude and values are incompatible with his or her own, such friendship has a high likelihood of corrupting the good values of the individual. The sayings ´Birds of a feather flock together” and “A sheep that mingles with the dog would feed on faeces” should not be taken seriously as they reflect the outcome of an individual with values that mingle with the corrupt.

With every choice made, there comes a handful of risks. Individuals need to embrace the concept of risk as part of their daily living. This will encourage making bolder decisions that will

ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability involves being accountable and taking responsibility for the choices taken. To be accountable, know yourself, your weaknesses and strengths and ensure you do not lose yourself. An individual who loses him or herself has lost the purpose of such life.