Integrity

This shall surely be a ramble of thoughts that have crossed my mind lately, so bear with my license as a blogger to sometimes write less than coherently.

Integrity. This is what is on my mind of late. What does it look like? Do I have it? Does it really exist much anymore? It seems like a big word that can be evident in so many small ways. Although I won't get into the details of why this word is weighing on my mind, let's just say that there seems to be a lack thereof these days.

What does it look like? It is a combination of honesty, selflessness, respect for others and a willingness to  separate yourself from something even if it isn't the most popular thing to do. Well, that is my definition and may be a bit off from Mr. Webster himself. 

Do I possess it? That is the question. Not as much as I would hope. I would love to be an Austen character like Elizabeth who always finds herself doing the right thing even when hard. Wrestling with her own desires in the pursuit of doing what is noble above all else. In a society that is so "me" centered and obsessed with loving oneself, that truly and sometimes thought old fashioned virtue called integrity gets kind of lost in all the narc ism. 

Jane, your wisdom was for the ages and thank goodness for that. No one tells it like an Elizabeth Bennett - full of poignancy and fire that cuts you to the quick.

So, for all those who feel like their tank of integrity is running a little low, pick up some moral morsels from our friend Jane and remember that although sometimes forgotten, integrity never goes out of style...