Kathy Ireland began her career as a model and over the years flourished as an actress, business woman, and philanthropist after being encouraged by friend Warren Buffet. In fact, she has been named by Forbes Magazine as one of the top 50 successful women of our time.
It’s not surprising, then, that she is credited with the quote above, noting that integrity is about working hard and maintaining a personal code of honor. We know that can be rewarding in itself. It’s often tempting to let others do the hard work instead of rolling-up our sleeves, but when integrity is a guiding principle, there’s no question about drawing upon a little extra energy to get the job done well.
I appreciate what Warren Buffet has to say, as well:
“It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”
We strive to build a reputation that renders us trustworthy and highlights the positive benefits of living a life of integrity. This standard applies to ourselves and others. If we keep integrity as our focus, we become much better at keeping our thoughts, motives, and actions clear, and we are better able to ensure that others in our sphere of influence are shielded from misappropriated fear and anger, as well. That makes working harder both rewarding and pleasurable.
Take a moment this week to appreciate someone with whom you work and spend quality time operating alongside them. By honoring others, you exercise your integrity muscles, and you’ll gain the personal satisfaction of brightening someone’s day!
Comments by lucinda