The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively. ~ Bob Marley
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend time with Shaila this past week. It was nice to have some one on one time together as those moments seem to be few and far between. As we participated in several group activities with her dance team, we were reminded of the importance of having integrity and being true to your word. It was a great opportunity to discuss the meaning of integrity with Shaila. There are very few things that we can control in our lives. Being true to your word is one of them.
When Dr. Race was here, he presented a book written by Don Miguel Ruiz “The Four Agreements” to our leadership team. It was an interesting book with a pretty simple philosophy of following four agreements in your life to be the best person you can be. The four agreements were:
1. Be Impeccable with your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
I continue to remind myself of these four lessons as they are as true today as when they were presented to me. I find the third agreement the hardest one to follow on any given day. I have found that we are incredible story tellers and that we like to make grandiose assumptions and create intricate stories. This week, I challenge you to review these four agreements and see if you can’t incorporate them into your life in some capacity. Let me know how it goes.
Integrity is the essence of everything successful. ~ R. Buckminster Fuller
-Amy McDaniel, Belmond CEO
