Integrity

Personal integrity is just being honest to myself. It's amazing how hard it can be to achieve. So many seem to lie about what we want to accommodate the security of the institutions humans made and we being human, could change. Defending the institution at the expense of our integrity may feel easy, but the sacrifice to our person is too costly.

Relationships are hard because we can't see what another is thinking and feeling clearly. If we refuse even to see what we ourselves are like inside, or don't care, then relationships based on trust and love are impossible. So we rely solely on contracts and laws to govern them. Where societies do not value the power of the written word, it is left to the powerful to rule our lives, our relationships.

It is so sad to see people dying inside right before your eyes. I believe we die every time we lie to ourselves about what we want, who we love and how we feel. This lie causes us to make bad decisions, do evil to others and spread the disease to society.

Look at the bird, which is small, so fragile, so unfettered, so free. Perhaps this little beauty can teach us a lesson in personal integrity.