Well, for the lucky, the winds of fate just might blow you off to some paradise. For the rest of us, the headline will more likely read – “More Losers Lost At Sea.” There are many ways one can become captain of the ship called life. You can knock fear on its rear and take the helm. You can work your way through the ranks to become captain. Or, you can lower that dinghy into the water, strap on a life preserver, and set your own course. Whatever you choose to do, the grave awaits all men. So, why slave away as nothing more than a deck-hand on the good ship we call “Life”.
Let us hearken back to the immortal words penned by Paul Anka and sang by the great Frank Sinatra –
And now, the end is here. And so I face the final curtain. My friend, I'll say it clear. I'll state my case, of which I'm certain. I've lived a life that's full. I traveled each and ev'ry highway. And more, much more than this, I did it my way.
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew. When I bit off more than I could chew. But through it all, when there was doubt. I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way.
I've loved, I've laughed and cried. I've had my fill, my share of losing. And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing. To think I did all that. And may I say, not in a shy way. Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way."
Ask any truly successful person and that person will say – I did it my way. It’s quite simple really. Success can only come from doing what it is you want to do in the way you want to do it. You might say – “Well, James – what if I wanted to smoke crack? How successful would I be at that?” And, I’d say – “VERY!!!” That is – if you really want to do it and can find a way to enjoy doing it, you will be successful at it. The crack-lover (and you can substitute crack for anything someone might claim to love) is not saying he loves life and wants the best out of life. He is saying – “I love crack!” Now, normally, the use and abuse of illicit drugs are a way to medicate after checking out of the game called life. So, drugs might not be the best answer. But, it is a fact. Successful people are bold enough to go against the current – to take the road less traveled to destinations seldom visited by the masses.
In a sense, that is what this book is about – the one thing that successful people possess that is uncommon in the herd. In a word, that one thing is -INTEGRITY. Thing is – it’s not just enough to know the word. It is not enough to know what the word means. It is not enough to say you possess the quality. Your life has to reflect that you know what integrity is and that you value what having integrity adds to your life. If everyone who supposed they had integrity did in-fact have it, we’d see a remarkably different world. Second, I wouldn’t have to write a book about it.
Along with one hundred other people, I took a ten-week course on integrity. And, at ten weeks into the course, we were still struggling to grasp the concept fully. What’s worse, no one would dare claim they were living a life of 100% integrity after week ten. Yet, it was a foregone conclusion that we all had integrity upon entering the course. So, it helps to think of integrity in the same way you would think of leaping from the top of a building and attempting to fly. It can be done. It is just far easier said than done.
There is no real test of integrity. So, everyone assumes they have it, since no one is actually checking. It’s like assuming you can swim. The real test of that assertion is not found in mere words, but in the deep end of a pool or in swimming out to sea. So, this book aims to approach understanding integrity from various perspectives. Then, there will be no doubt in the reader’s mind that it is something worth shooting for – the practice of integrity. The reader will see why all other practices must fall in-line behind the practice of personal integrity. My mom had eight kids. The one who had the most personal integrity is now a millionaire. And, the rest of us, we’re still working to catch-up.
You might say – well, I really don’t want more money. That might be true. But, maybe there is something you want out of life. Perhaps, you want more health, more love, more time to spend with your children, or to write that great American novel. Or, perhaps, you just want to live life your way. Or, perhaps, you don’t want anything out of this life. Perhaps, you are ‘in the world, but not of the world.’ Whatever it is, you can get more out of life by making certain realizations about your personal integrity.
You know - it is reported in the Bible that Jesus was a man of great personal integrity. He is, perhaps, the best example we have of someone who possessed a perfect degree of personal integrity. He said – “I and my Father are one!” That is the ultimate statement of personal integrity. I am one with God. I am one with God and I am here to do God’s Will. I am one with God. I am here to do God’s Will. And, nothing and no one will get in the way of that oneness or the doing of God’s will for my life.” That’s integrity! That is saying God created you and you will honor the spirit of who you were created to be, regardless of whom or what. And, Jesus was persecuted and sent to the cross for honoring that he should live as God created him to live. And, guess what? We honor and celebrate him today for his having the courage to be perfect.
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