The very first chapter in The Nature of Excellence addresses the bedrock of excellence - Integrity.
Integrity is never being ashamed of your reflection.
Without a doubt, your personal integrity is your most prized possession. Each day, that integrity is constantly tested, and you have an opportunity to prove it or lose it with every decision you make.
Doing the right thing is not always the easiest thing – but it is always the right thing to do. Choosing to do the right thing – even when it’s painful – ensures you will maintain your most precious possession throughout your personal and professional journey.
Along with the awesome photo from Tom Fox in this chapter (see bottom of this newsletter), here are a few of my favorite quotations from the Integrity chapter of The Nature of Excellence...
"There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience." - John Wooden
"The time is always right to do what is right." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
"A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." - Proverbs 22:1
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"It is better to be defeated on principle than to win on lies." - Arthur Calwell
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
The next time you see your reflection may you feel the pride of knowing that your actions demonstrate unquestioned integrity.
