Your Integrity is Your Internal Compass to Success

When you live by your values and stand by what you believe, you teach others somatically the devotion to integrity.

In a world where so many take shortcuts to get where they want, my dad stands out as someone who refuses to compromise his integrity. It took me a long time to appreciate this for the rare gift that it is.

When I was younger, I tried to get into art school. My dad knew somebody important in the school and he said I was SO close… I missed out by just one person.

I remember being really mad at my dad for not pulling strings to get me in, especially as it was just one person. At the time it seemed unfair - everyone else was doing it, so why couldn’t he?

This happened more than once.

Another time I missed getting accepted to a program at University, because of a near miss on the entrance test. My dad was the Vice President of the University, and I remember pleading with him to bend the rules for me and help me get in. He had that position of power, but he never even considered it.

To my dad, this option wasn’t acceptable. His internal integrity compass was so powerful that it made no sense to him. What would it prove? 🧭

Looking back now, it’s one of the greatest lessons he taught me - keeping your integrity is vital if you want to stand tall, look yourself in the eye, and be successful.

I've lived by these values of honesty and integrity for many years. They were modeled for me and instilled in me by my dad. What I once thought was a failure on his part, is now echoed in everything I do, who I am, and is an integral part of my success. Thank you, dad.

To this day, when I have an ethical dilemma, where it's difficult to make a decision, I will call him. I know that whatever he says to me, it will be with 100% integrity. It's one of the most amazing things he passed on to me that I feel proud to pass on to all of you.

Strong ethics draw people to you. Trust your internal compass to guide you.