The Value of Integrity

Happy Summer Everyone! July’s community asset of the month is “integrity” which is when a person acts on convictions and stands up for his or her beliefs. I think that this asset is one of the most important attributes which we should teach our youth to have, and to practice. Unfortunately it seems to be a fading attribute of not just our young people, but their adult mentors as well. The news is rampant with stories of people whom have lost their integrity. Often the right thing to do is not going to be the popular thing, but having the conviction to stand by ones beliefs should still outweigh our insatiable need to be accepted and popular, and to tear other people down.

Integrity is reflective of practicing honesty and sincerity in our convictions.  We can and should stand up for our beliefs, but we also need to respect the beliefs of others who also have strong held convictions, even when they do not mirror our own.  There is an old adage which says: “children live what they learn” and I believe this to be an extremely valid statement. If we teach our kids to hate, they will most likely hate; conversely if we teach our kids kindness, patience, and love they will most likely practice behaviors that reflect integrity.

 Of course I realize at some point many kids develop a strong (er) connection to their peer groups (teenagers!), and we feel like we are losing our grip on them, however if we start at an early age just teaching our kids the basics of human kindness and acceptance, and gently remind them of these basics throughout their adolescence, they stand a better chance of developing a belief system and a set of convictions that are reflective of sincerity, honesty, and integrity.

Have a safe and happy July ~ See you in August! ~ Barbara