Integrity

I'm reading a good book currently. Written by John C Maxwell. Knowing who the author is, you could guess what it is about.

Ah yes. leadership.

I was flabbergasted by what he wrote inside, thereby it took a long time to finish it. I haven't finished reading it by the way. Some I read times and times again. Now I've just read a chapter about integrity and it did open my narrow mind to a deeper understanding about what integrity really means. And I don't want to stop until here, understanding. I want to do it. A book is never gonna change your life unless you do what you read, isn't it? That what books are for I guess.

Sooo. Integrity.
It is a state of being you, real you. Being who you are no matter where you are and who you are with. Being consistent. Your words and your deeds all must match up.

Some people spend their time building an image. But it's not what it's supposed to be. Image is what others think you are, while integrity is what you really are. Image might fail, integrity last. Rather than struggling to create a good image, we better struggling to increase our character value. Yes it takes longer time, but it worths. People will see who we are not what we try to appear to be.
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Are you the same person no matter who you're with?

Me? Not really.

The first time I went for my internship, I want to create a good impression. I don't want to be late, speak english fluently, and do all a good professional designer should do. I tried to ask many questions also. *and I was so quiet at office! it was so damn torturing me!! Not because I was shy or something. It's because I didn't know how to translate my thought into a good english. hahaha.

Anyway, what I did is not for the sake of impression only of course. I was just trying to be a good intern. Really. It's not that I pretended to be someone else. :)

But as time goes by, people will figure out who I really am, the value that I had. I started to come late for some times, not initiative, asking less questions. My english become broken2 english lahh. Even when the boss dictate me what to write, I often spelled the words wrongly. So then he spelled it for me outloud!

"EEH, 'across' is with a single 'C' lahh. not 'accross'. A-C-R-O-S-S!"
How humiliating. hahaa.

Okay, so the point is, if you want to get a good value, don't start on the time you got work. Start from now! What you are at work is a mirrored image of what you are daily. Trust me. Even if you pretend, it won't be long for others to know.

Then, about consistency. Do you do what you say?

Me? again, not everything.

Integrity means living it myself before leading others. You cannot bring someone to a place that you've never gone. If you want to make others better, make your self better first. Only then you can influence others. By words people understand, by action people believe. People believe to what they see. So, let's be a good model for them. :)

last, a quote from the book.

"Life is like a vise. At times it will squeeze us. At those moments of pressure, whatever is inside will be found out. We cannot give what we do not have."

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