Becoming whole

I often wonder what it must feel like to be an Olympian in a small country that is not the USA. What is their life like? Is there life completely devoted to their specific event? Or do they have a normal job and just pursue running or swimming or whatever on the side?

It strikes me as a fascinating question because is speaks to the divided self which so many of us experience. For these athletes, they are running on a world stage. But back home, they are not heroes but normal individuals with the same everyday struggles.

We divide our person up according to our social location as well. When we go to church we often act one way, and when we are with our friends we are another.

I feel this pressure after recently moving to a place surrounded by people who watched me grow up. In some crowds people think I am great, and in other gatherings I am surrounded by people who have stories to prove I am not all that.

We have an inward person and an outer person, and sometimes the two are not in alignment. It leads to this feeling that, though I am performing in a way that the people around me may like, they don’t really know who I am.

Integrity

When I think of the word “integrity”, I typically think of being morally upright. Though this is technically correct, there is a second definition of integrity that I like much better, and that is to be whole or undivided.

Integrity in this sense is a big deal, both for the individual and the community surrounding that individual.

For the person becoming full of integrity, they will find themselves living more authentically, more free, than they would have otherwise. They no longer have to put on a mask when they enter into a different social setting. Rather, a person of integrity is who they are in every situation.

For the community around that person, integrity tells the world that the beholder is trustworthy and consistent.

Don’t worry about fitting in, you won‘t

Often being a person of integrity becomes difficult because they struggle with the weight of outside opinions and expectations being pressed on them. They think if they put a mask on and pretend to be someone else they will gain more friends.

To fight this, you must become clear on who you are, what values you hold, and the goal you are aiming towards. Clarity on who you are, what makes up your DNA, the things that get you most excited about, need to take front and center of your being.

Once you are clear, you must pursue your aims regardless of what people think. Others will be drawn to your focus and passion to pursue an authentic life based on personal beliefs and values.

Do not allow the conforming to the expectations of others leave you dissatisfied. Instead, take the courageous steps necessary to learn who you are, what your values are, and what you can bring into the world.

Allow the inner person to speak to the outer, and may the two find safe passage to one another, that in all things you may present yourself as one, consistent individuals.

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