Backstory
“Be Impeccable With Your Word,” advises a spiritual leader. Indeed, nothing should be more reliable or treasured than our word. We need to speak with integrity and use the power of our words to represent truth and kindness.
Integrity
When you hear media reports today of wrongdoing, it’s easy to think that integrity must be dead. Deeds done with greed in mind hurt and damage.
It seems even worse when the wrongdoers turn out to be celebrities or people in respected positions, people who have done something that made others admire them. Then you find they had feet of clay and lacked integrity.
But look around you, and you’ll find that we are surrounded by quiet, simple integrity. Let’s not forget that, no matter how far off the path the rich and recognized go. Every day, we interact with people who have integrity in their thoughts, words, and deeds. You can count on what they say. You can take it to the bank.
The Rotary Club is an international service organization that has a four-way test of integrity. At their weekly meeting, Rotarians repeat the test out loud, to remind themselves to live by it.
Of the things we think, say, and do:
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
How simple a test to lay on our everyday actions, to be sure they have integrity and won’t let people down.
The four-way test has now been translated into a hundred different languages, to help people around the world to act daily with personal integrity.
P.S. Well known for its global efforts to eradicate polio, Rotary International is comprised of tens of thousands of local clubs. A Rotarian is welcome at the weekly meeting of any club throughout the world. For details, see rotary.org.
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