The quote above is from Cornerstone Leadership’s “Nature of Excellence” slideshow, which is filled with beautiful photos and wonderful inspirations. A former co-worker sent me the link, knowing that I would appreciate it. The linking of integrity and reflection struck a chord with me.
Why do we care about our reflection? Why do we look in a mirror? Typically, we want to check how we look and how other people will see us. The mirror does not lie. If there is a smudge on our face, the smudge will be visible in our reflection. If our clothes are wrinkled, the mirror will reflect that back to us. If our shoes are dirty, they will appear dirty in our reflection.
The difference with integrity is that we don’t see it when we look in a mirror. Integrity is reflected in our words and our actions and to everyone around us. When our words and actions align, we are standing in integrity. However, if we say one thing and do another, we are not being integrious. There is no fixing the smudge in the mirror, so to speak. What others see reflected in our comments and behaviors is just as true as our reflection in a mirror.
What are people seeing in you? If you saw what they see, would you be ashamed?
