Looking back 25
years, I attribute my achievements to living what I call the 8 Key Catalysts-and
they continue to propel me forward and make my life meaningful and successful.
The Key Catalysts I live and promote have been around for millennia in the form
of good, old-fashioned character and smart living. But when you really live them
and combine them with your personal vision, nothing will stop you, nothing will
hold you back. Living your passions as a person of good character and principles
will dramatically add to you success and happiness.
Here are the 8 Key Catalysts:
•
Integrity – Live What
You Value
•
Failure Leads to
Success
•
Speak with Good
Purpose
•
This Is It
•
Commit Yourself
•
Take Ownership
•
Stay Flexible
•
Keep Your Balance
Let's have a
closer look at these Keys. Starting with Live What You Value this month,
we'll explore these 8 Key Catalysts and discover what they mean, why they're
important, and how to make sure they're an active part of your life.
INTEGRITY –
LIVE WHAT YOU VALUE
Align
your actions with your values.
Quantum
Success* begins with knowing yourself: your values, desires, talents, and
dreams. Integrity is all about being true to that self, in all your actions and
interactions. I'm not just talking about values and desires, but also about
personality, preferences, opinions-all the factors that compel you to act and
feel the way you do.
Here's the
take-away definition: Integrity is behavior congruent with your values.
Values are the
things that we believe in and cherish-concepts like honesty, commitment, and
compassion … things like family, friends, and causes. Take a moment and think
about what you value. Living with integrity requires living with a high sense of
awareness, keeping your actions in line with your values at all times.
A Hard
Lesson About Values
In the early
part of my career, I was in partnership in a business school. We were changing
people's lives and wanted to do more so we took advantage of an investment
opportunity, a "system" that we thought couldn't lose. We invested a little and
made an enormous return so we invested more, and then we allowed friends and
associates to invest with us and guaranteed their returns. The system worked
like magic for a while, then, without warning, the bottom dropped out and I
watched in horror as my money dwindled away to nothing-I lost almost everything,
including my home and some of my friends.
In time, I
learned two very important lessons from that loss, lessons that remain with me
to this day. First, even though the stock options system had raised money for
the school, I had strayed from my true values. And second, my values were still
intact and strong … all my possessions could be taken away, but nobody could
take away my values, my dreams, my mindset-my integrity.
When you
clarify your values, it helps you to move forward and choose actions that are
consistent with your goals and still align with your values. Together, your
values and goals bring a sense of passion and purpose to your life and to your
work.
What Does
Your Behavior Say About You?
Take a moment to think about some of your recent
activities, about your interactions with colleagues, friends, family. Now give
some honest thought to the values that those behaviors project. Are those your
real values? Does your time go to the people and activities you value, or
elsewhere?
This thought
process is the litmus tests of integrity. If your behaviors reflect your values,
if your time goes to the people and activities that are most important to you,
then you're living with integrity. If the way you spend your time does not
reflect your values, and your behaviors are saying things about you that aren't
true, then you're not living with integrity.
Living in
integrity means being true to who you are-even if no one is looking.
This reminds me
of something that most of us value-honesty-and a story I read recently in the
newspaper about a hospital housekeeper who found $12,450 in an envelope under a
pillow after a patient has been discharged. When she turned it in, she was
surprised at the reactions that she'd done something great. She said, "The money
didn't belong to me and I wasn't supposed to take it. That's the normal thing to
do."
When we do
something-whether it relates to simple honesty or relationships or moving toward
our goals-and it doesn't feel quite right, chances are that we are not living in
integrity. And when we do something and it feels good, it's likely that we are
living in integrity. I know the difference from personal experience. On
reflection I realized that something about that investment scheme just didn't
feel right, but I ignored the discomfort and moved on, then suffered the
consequences.
How to Act
with Integrity, Moment by Moment
A lot of people
simply act as they feel like acting, then find some justification-any
justification-for why they did what they did. Their actions are largely
unconsidered.
Highly
successful people, in contrast, use their values to steer their actions. They
reflect, then act. Their values motivate their actions, because they
choose their actions to harmonize with their values.
Remember to
check your motivation when you make a decision or choose an action. Can you be
honest enough with yourself to admit why you're doing something? Is it really a
reflection of your values, or a reflection of what you want at the moment?
When Your Behavior Matches Your
Values
When you choose your behavior to
reflect your values you'll move through life with authenticity, sincerity, and
wholeness. When you live with integrity, it'll show. People will think of you as
a person of your word. You'll be known for your strong character. When you live
with integrity, you'll enjoy a clear conscience. You'll be filled with good
feelings about yourself. Those good feelings will pour into everything you say
and do and give you the courage to follow your heart. Integrity leads to
fulfillment.
* For more
on Quantum Success, see my article "How Do You Define Success?" in the May 2007
issue, Success section.
About the Author:
Bobbi DePorter is the author of Quantum Success and other
books on learning and teaching, and is president of Quantum Learning Network (QLN)
and cofounder of SuperCamp. QLN produces programs for students, educators,
parents and business people across the United States and abroad. For more
information visit
www.QLN.com or email
info@QLN.com .
