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Normal is the average or
common type. As we have
already seen, the common
type is a world lacking integrity.
Normality is not a goal—it is
the problem!
People of integrity are
exceptional. They are
individuals who have
consistency in their lives. You
know what you’re going to get
when you deal with them. You
can trust that what they say to
you will be consistent with what
they say about you when you’re
not present. This is why we
value them so highly. We know
where we stand with them.
The question is: How do we
become people of integrity?
It is all about consistency. It is
about being the same person
in every situation. This
requires deciding who we are
going be. It begins with making
better choices on the wheel
of consistency.
change your habits. You have to
consciously choose to initiate a
behavior repetitively until it
becomes a natural expression.
longer than others and some
take an entire lifetime to
develop. However, the
opportunities you have today
are a direct result of the choices
you made, the habits you hold,
the character you’ve developed
and the value people place on
you. If you want to change the
opportunities you get, you have
to start by changing the choices
you make.
Better habits lead to better
character. Most people have an
erroneous view of character.
We get to choose who we are
They view character as being
going to be. We do so through
trustworthy, responsible,
the choices we make. We
honest, etc. Those are habits.
usually want to focus on the
If you are honest, it is because
major life choices to define our you have the habit of telling the
life. Really, it is the endless row truth. You get to choose your
What is the great reward from
of daily choices that define us.
habits but you do not get to
all this work to become a
That is where consistency is
choose your character.
person of integrity? MORE
established (or lost).
PROBLEMS—and that is a
Character is how your habits
good thing.
Better choices lead to better
are socially perceived by other
habits. We are creatures of
people. Better character is
I’m one of the cruelest parents
habit. Just about everything
achieved when we hold habits
you will ever meet. I do
we do is based on conditioned
long enough that people around whatever it takes to get my
habits in our life. From working us begin to define us by them.
kids out of bed in the morning.
out, to eating, to reading, to
I beat pots and pans. I blast
how we get dressed in the
Better character makes us more opera music through the house.
morning, literally everything is valuable as individuals and
My favorite is to take a mason
dictated by habitual actions.
opens the door to greater
jar, fill it with glass marbles
opportunities. You get to choose and put it in the deep freeze.
You get to choose your habits.
the opportunities you will face.
It takes effort and dedication to Some opportunities take much
continued on page 16
October 2015
15
The Credit Professional