To walk in integrity, we have to lose our fear about the future. We have to embrace the Goodness of God. We have to wrestle our human thoughts about appearances to the ground.
Above all, we have to speak our truth. This is walking in integrity. When we are walking in integrity, we are able to be at peace within, in a deeply whole way.
Stewart, a graduate student, competed for and was awarded a paid summer internship paying $7000. He was thrilled. The program’s literature guaranteed a good match for the selected students with organizations in the area. Stewart was tentatively matched with an assignment in a public school system. After the interview in the school, he realized that he had already done that same type of work 4 years earlier and had moved on from there in the intervening years. When no other placements were actually available, he told the granting organization this placement was not a good match for him. They strongly advised him to take the placement and told him if he did not, they would “be obliged” to call his college and say that he reneged on his contract.
He was both disappointed about the mismatch and yet offended by the treatment he had received through veiled threats and serious arm twisting to take a job which was so clearly a bad match for him. After a second round of meetings, and a lot of soul searching, Stewart respectfully resigned the paid internship. By the time he made his decision, he was in a good place looking forward to a summer of doing his own research and work. The very day he let this go, however, he was asked to join a team in Africa to work on more efficient ways to deliver medical support for malaria. This offer was a much better match for Stewart on many levels.
This is a situation where walking in integrity paid off in a rather dramatic turn of events. In one conversation, we talked about Tom Stoppard’s line, “every exit is an entrance somewhere else.” This was truly Stewart’s experience. However, he alone had to weight the consequences and act. He was the only person who could decide what walking in integrity was for him.
One characteristic of being in integrity is that it requires deep personal soul searching at times. It requires getting our ego out of the way and listening to the energy of the Highest Good. Walking in integrity often requires facing our doubts, fears and misgivings rather than taking the expected option or path because of the promised rewards. At the end of the day, walking in integrity requires courage, the conviction of the heart that if something is not a good option, the right options will present in the fullness of time.
One great way to walk in integrity is to write to God or talk to God. This way, we are not tempted to shade things, twist motivations or color the truth. We can more easily speak the truth because we know all is already known anyway. Making up a good story for God is a futile act. When we communicate with the All Knowing Divine Presence, we can frequently find out what integrity looks like. It is never too late to walk in integrity around issues in the past or present.
When Ria began a spiritual practice of meditation, her world began to change. She began to realize just how unkindly she had treated some of the men she had dated much earlier in her life. She felt deep guilt and shame around some of her actions and was at a loss to know what to do. Though she was not in touch with any of these men anymore, the drive to “make things right” would not go away. She was led to write in her journal to each of the mistreated men, to say clearly what she needed to say, and to ask for forgiveness. She worked on this process until all the men she had mistreated had been written to in her journal, before God and until she felt whole and clean. Nearing the end of this process, she had a service for the men of her past. She blessed each one of them, acknowledged what she had learned from them, asked again for forgiveness and gave all her shame and guilt to God. She had walked in integrity with the past.
Where might you need to walk in integrity? What is keeping you from making amends with your past or your present? Might you be prostituting yourself for the sake of money, prestige, reputation, influence or recognition?
All things, no matter what they consist of, can be taken to God/the Great Knowing/the Oneness. When we take steps to walk in integrity we come into Right Relationship with ourselves, with others and with God. We come to a place of deep inner balance and peace. There are ALWAYS better options for us than remaining out of integrity with ourselves and our lives. As we come into integrity, we manifest more balance in our lives, more love and more forgiveness. Our lives can be literally transformed by taking a walk with integrity.
All acts of the past, those in integrity and those out of integrity are traveling along with us. Any set of actions we have taken which have been out of integrity are negatively affecting us in one way or another. We are the accumulations of our past actions, thoughts, deeds and feelings. Only when we bring those into the space of integrity can we be truly at Peace. Go hunting for places where you are not walking in integrity. You will be supported beyond your wildest imagination by the Presence of God.
Steps to Integrity
1. Open a Sacred Space with Divine Energy/God/Ascended Masters/Angels and your Highest Self, to support your work.
2. Name the specific person(s) or incident where you are out of integrity with All That Is.
3. Speak or write to God about the feelings you have regarding your situation. Name your fears. Go thoroughly into this situation and explore it deeply.
4. Ask for the support you need, a way out, a way to let it go of the guilt or fear, forgiveness, support in facing what you have done, etc.
5. Give all negative thoughts and feelings to Divine Presence, in writing or out loud.
6. Give thanks for the support you are receiving to walk in integrity.
7. Wait upon the Presence of God to work within your energy field.
8. Repeat this process with other situations or persons until you feel you are walking in full integrity.
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