Integrity with Ourselves

This morning, I was grateful to be stuck at home due to a weekend snowstorm.  Would have normally been out and about, but instead was having a cup of tea and listening to a podcast about extreme weight loss.  The guest speaker brought up the quality of integrity.

Integrity, by definition, means adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; and honesty.  Now who wouldn’t say they have integrity.  My initial reaction was “of course I do”…my words and promises are solid...at work…with my friends...everyday people.

But the next realization hit home.  Part of integrity is doing what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it.  I could very well have integrity with everyone else in the world, but I don't think I've had integrity with myself. 

And then came a flood of thoughts about the health goals and promises I have made for myself…..sometimes I have kept them, sometimes I have not.  And those that I have not, have happened over and over again.

So, the next commitment for myself will be one of integrity.  I’ll be starting with one simple goal of getting on the treadmill every single day at 6 am.  It doesn’t matter for how long or how intense, at this point.  It’s not going to be so much about the actual exercise, but of the commitment to myself….and then building upon it. 

----

Reference: Food for Fitness 106: Extreme Weight Loss, The Challenges of Losing More Than 200 lbs (Part 1) – with Chris Powell, podcast, 3 April 2018, https://www.foodforfitness.co.uk/podcast/106/