My blogs are always about what’s on my heart.
They are reminders for me, as well as lessons I want to share with you.
Today I want to talk about having integrity.
You know, doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
Why is having integrity so important?
Because if you don’t, it’s like getting caught up in a lie.
The prize is not so sweet if you have to be deceitful to achieve it.
I remember a marathon I ran several years ago in Ohio.
At the time, I was doing back-to-back marathons, which meant that I would run another marathon after only a couple of weeks of recovery.
On this day, at around mile 16, my legs started getting heavy.
By mile 20, I questioned my ability to finish the race.
Towards the end of the course, there were a couple of loops that we call lollipops. One way in, circle around, then trace your steps back.
I seriously considered cheating.
I was exhausted, nauseous, and mentally done.
I could just turn back right there and skip out on all those extra steps.
I looked ahead, and I looked back. There was no one in sight.
No one would see me. Who would know?
Me. That’s who.
The girl that cheated. The girl that lied. The girl that took a shortcut.
The girl that ended up deceiving no one but herself.
At the end of every race, a volunteer drapes a medal around the neck of every finisher.
Getting that medal is fabulous. It keeps me running, no matter how difficult it gets.
The medal means that everyone is a winner for going the distance.
So how could I not?
No one else would know.
But I would.
So I kept going, with aches and pains and cramps and tears.
I didn’t take any shortcuts.
I didn’t cheat.
Even when no one was watching.
Because I’m not a cheater.
Because the way you do one thing is the way you do everything.
That’s integrity.