Self-awareness

Practice living in integrity.

Integrity is aligning our heart with our actions; it is a wonderful compass to navigate us through life. I believe having purpose is as simple as doing our best to act with integrity in every situation. As we grow spiritually and our identity starts to drop, things we’ve been conditioned to believe is our truth, start to fade and make way for a stronger knowing of who we truly are. Those subtle whispers from the heart that are guiding us on our journey ripple through our body when we are off alignment.

We need to be comfortable knowing that when we experience pain and struggle, whether it’s physical or mental, its sole purpose is to interrupt our life and prompt us to move swiftly back into alignment and act with integrity.

Integrity needs to be the foundation of every communication and our decision-making, whether for a big life shift or in staple everyday choices. When our life fluctuates in and out of alignment, making who we are and what we value built upon shifting sands, we experience conflict that dwells within us causing unease – or dis-ease – in our life.

We’ve all been out of integrity and it’s a transformative tool that enables us to grow self-awareness and heal hurt parts of ourselves. But when we unconsciously weave in and out of self-alignment often, we unnecessarily create discomfort for ourselves and those around us.

Here are some ways where we may be living out of integrity: • When we go along with the crowd and don’t do what we really want to do.

• When we say we’ll do something then don’t follow through. • When we stay in a job or relationship we know is not valuing us despite having clearly communicated our needs.

• When we don’t speak up when we know something is not ok with us.

• When we outwardly lie or exaggerate reality to get a desired result or reaction from another.

• When we’ve sold an idea we don’t really believe is beneficial to the other person.

To be and act with integrity we must first know what we value most, then act and make decisions with those values top of mind. Some values you might relate to are dependability, loyalty, open-mindedness, efficiency, passion, adventure, autonomy, balance, security, and reputation.

If we make agreements with ourselves to not waste food, to buy because we care for the planet, to speak up when something doesn’t feel ok, or to be mindful when we make a commitment to someone else, these agreements are important to honour. If we don’t honour our agreements – our values and our integrity – we chip away internally at the trust we have of ourselves and it shows up in life struggle.

Small, incremental, achievable goals towards living in integrity makes for a harmonious heart and a purposeful life.

Self-reflection

• What areas of my life am I not living with integrity? E.g. work, friends, health, family, environment.

• What achievable actions do I need to make to make me feel more in integrity? E.g. Is there anyone you need to apologise to where you have acted in a way you weren’t proud of?