“Integrity” is one of my favorite words.  Its derivation is from the Latin word integritas, which means wholeness or soundness, and from integer, which also adds to the mix the concept: untouched.

Webster’s Dictionary goes on to add, ”the quality or state of being whole, unimpaired, unbroken.”  And lastly, “the quality or state of being of sound moral principle.”

The word cross-pollinates all human activities.  Or at least it should.  It governs politics, business, marriage, athletics, personal relationships and far beyond.  It is the governing principle of all human relationships: to behave with integrity.

To behave with integrity simply means to be pure (untouched) in intention.  To me it means to live to one’s highest understanding of right.  It means to live in the wholeness of honesty and goodness.  Ultimately, it means to live life as Christ, Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Mohamed, Moses, the way-showers, all taught us to live.

It means to “do unto others as we would have them do unto us.”

I remind myself of this noble word and invite all others to reconsider this word in their lives.

I truly believe in the Golden Rule.  It too is one of life’s governing principles.  Why?  Because it works.  There are some things in this life experience that simply work.  Like goodness begets goodness.  Love is reflected in love.  The more one gives, the more one receives.

Ultimately we must all know that if we act to our highest sense of integrity, we cannot be hurt.

There are people out there who will try to take advantage of what might be deemed our ‘innocence’, our purity, but we must stand in our integrity as a mighty fortress of sound untouched wholeness.  If we do, we cannot be marred.  We cannot be broken nor pulled down.  The word is that mighty.

We must know this and live it.

I pray that I can.  I trust its noblese.  I deeply value its lofty reach.  I scramble to reach its mountaintop.  I stand in awe of those who stand upon it.

If I can be known as a man of integrity, I shall have lived a worthwhile life.  I have not always stood in those shoes.  I have sometimes taken the easy way out and not stood this mountain.  But always it proved not to be the easy way out, but, in fact, proved itself disastrous and left me a failed individual

Perhaps it’s why I’m here: to learn the way of integrity.

It is why I write of the word.  To think on it, to study once again both meaning and root and ingest them into my life.

Oh that I could stand untouched before you.  Oh that we could stand together.

We could, you know.  We could all live lives of integrity.  If we did, the human race would take a giant leap of evolution.  The world would absolutely change for the better.  We all know this to be true.

Let us have faith that the word will prove itself.  Faith can grow to understanding.  When we have this understanding as a human race we will find ourselves on the path of the way-showers.