Initially I wanted to write about expectations but as I wrote it kept coming back
to one thing, Integrity; which I translate into SELF LOVE. Integrity is something
many people are uplifted and praised for, yet at the same time many people are
persecuted and looked down on for using it. It is how one handles themselves with
responsibility and the ability to take the consequences brought on by decisions that
they make.
I have learnt that I can’t be upset at someone for breaking a promise they have
made to me when in turn I am the first to break the promises I make to myself
just because nobody knows about it. If you love yourself, love yourself enough to
honor your truth. Any person who fails to act on their commitments to themselves
through self deception and/or weakness of willpower lacks integrity.
Each of us, regardless of circumstances, always has the power to make good
choices. These choices that bring into our lives more of what we want and
minimize the things we don't want thus honoring the greatness that resides within
us.
Nelson Mandela during the Rivonia trail was facing the possibility of life in prison
or the death sentence but he is a man of such integrity that in his statement to the
court, he did not sell himself out; he was not swayed by the possibility of death. He
never quivered nor ran scared but instead stood his ground with conviction. Robed
in his traditional Xhosa attire he affirmed his beliefs through his speech which he
closed off with the following words: "During my lifetime I have dedicated myself
to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and
I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic
and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal
opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be,
it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."
Integrity is the only path in life upon which you never get lost. Placing integrity at
the cornerstone of every decision requires a willingness to do what is right above
what is convenient. At times this means veering off the safe and comfortable path
onto one less traveled, where the risk of failure or disapproval may run high. At
other times it calls for you to forge your own path. At its core, integrity is about
wholeness and alignment between your deepest values, what you are doing and
who you are.
Make the changes that will lead to the change you want. Have the courage to step
unreservedly from your comfort zone and take the chances that call you forward
towards fulfilling your potential.
Written in the company of Lundi Njomane and Natash Masike.
