Integrity

I've been needing something, anything to motivate me.  Anything!  I set goals and give up, repeatedly.  So what would keep me on target?  I may have found it.

In our church, the young women have a little booklet called "Personal Progress."  It is filled with eight major categories, and you do small goals and then a large project for each category.  As a leader, I am working on the same goals.

One of the categories is Integrity.  I had a project in mind, sewing modest clothing, but it didn't seem quite right, though I do need to get them done.  Still, I don't want a lot of new things that will just discourage me from getting fit, since then my new things will be too big.  Then it hit me exactly what the project should be.

INTEGRITY.  What does it mean?  We usually think of good character, honesty, trustworthiness, etc.  But there are other definitions which I came across when studying the meanings (which is one of the smaller goals.)

INTEGRITY means:

 

1.    adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character;

       honesty.

2.    the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of

       the empire.

3.    a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.

 

(dictionary.reference.com)

 

Okay, so number one is what we usually think of, but what about 2 and 3?  

 

1--I haven't been fully committed in obeying the principles of getting enough sleep, enough exercise, and the right portions of food.

 

2--The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished....I need to restore, as much as possible, the integrity of my body. I have let my fitness diminish, languish, be distracted by other things.  I may never overcome the fibromyalgia, but I can at least do my part.  

 

3--A sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition?  Hardly!  fat and unhappy is not quite the same as sound and unimpaired. 

Now, part of 3 is not to confusion perfect with perfectionism.  I did a perfect job of walking yesterday and today.  I did not walk perfectly, or even early, or energetically, but I have a perfect record that I walked both days.  That's good enough for now. I did actually finish up a mile, though it was difficult and not high energy.

Synonyms:

Rectitude, probity, virtue, honor

Antonyms:  dishonesty

We could play thesaurus:  rectitude means

1.   rightness of principle or conduct; moral virtue: the rectitude of her motives.

2.   correctness: rectitude of judgment.

3.   straightness.

 

If I get in shape, I am following right principles of health.  Straightness...stand up straight, dive straight into it...rectitude makes me thinking of standing erect.

 

Probity:    integrity and uprightness; honesty. Not to be confused with propriety, which means: decency, modesty, etiquette, aptness, fitness, seemliness,  correctness.  (oh well, why not that too?  It fits with the theme.  Fitness!)  Am I fit for life?  Am I fit for the things I need to do?  Hardly, but I want to be.  

 

Straightness: (as an adverb) in a straight line: to walk straight; in an even form or position: in an erect posture: to stand up straight; directly: to go straight to a place.  I want to walk, straight to my fitness goal.  Not so much worried about form or position yet, as long as I don't hurt myself, just doing it, but knowing that it will help both my form and posture. 

 

As for my motives:  to honor God an myself by keeping my body as a temple, full of His honor and glory, able to serve Him faithfully in full health, to do my part in His kingdom, in my work, and in my household.

 

And, I admit, to get that purple Integrity ribbon, to complete the entire program and get my medallion.