Living with integrity into our core values

Integrity has been a word with a lot of meaning for me in the last two decades. Trying to keep my integrity has made me struggle with some of the shadow parts of my personality. As an Enneagram Three, I do have some strong desires around ambition, being in the spotlight, and being loved. However, these are only problems when they come out in unhealthy ways. When I am true to myself these aspects of my personality can be very useful. When I am well grounded, my ambitions become not for myself, but for the causes I am a part of and so forth. In starting to read Karen Walrond's The Lightmaker's Manifesto and starting to do some of the exercises, I have remembered my core values which I keep coming back to. 

(Seminarians tend to have to do a lot of these kinds of exercises as they prepare for ministry for the long haul. One needs to know what is driving oneself and the tools in your box in order to have a long healthy ministry. I am sure this won't be the last time I do these exercises again to remember and reaffirm my core values.) 

For those who know me, it probably isn't much of a surprise to read that my core values are connection, courage, creation, grace, truth, and love. I work hard to live into these with integrity throughout my life and ministry. There are a few I fail more often than the others. A few of them come up in almost everything I do. As it is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, I would say integrity leads to the very best sermons, after his well-quoted saying, “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.” However, he didn't actually say that. What he said was, "It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching. As for me, I desire this privilege from the Lord, that never may I have any privilege from man, except to do reverence to all, and to convert the world by obedience to the Holy Rule rather by example than by word." Our pithy summary is much easier to quote. However, the sentiment is still true, we must live with integrity, by example of our life and deeds, instead of simply our words. How are you living with integrity into your core values today?  @karenwalrond @brenebrown #lightmakerbook #keepmakinglight www.thelightmakersmanifesto.com