Build Character Through Integrity

To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man (William Shakespeare, 1564-1616).

The wonderful thing about character and integrity, which are intimately related, is that they're one of the few things in life that no one will ever be able to forcefully take away from you. Your choices are your own. Even if someone can take your life, they can't force you to make a choice that you believe is wrong

The actions below cannot be done at once, nor should they be. Each of them takes time to fully understand and apply towards your life. Learn about your own virtues and values, and how they correspond to your life and the world around you. Follow the steps below to improve yourself by building your character.

Steps

 * 1) Understand what character and Integrity are. The definitions of these words are often stretched or misrepresented. Learn what they truly mean:
 * 2) *In this use, Character is the sum of qualities show up in a person or group, moral or ethical strength, and the description of a person's attributes, traits and abilities. Character is who you are.  It defines you and guides your actions, hopefully in a positive way.
 * 3) *Integrity is steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code, being unimpaired, sound, whole and undivided; completeness.
 * 4) *Integrity can be summed up simply as doing the right thing for the right reason even when no one is watching.
 * 5) Choose a set of rules, morals, or principles that you believe will lead to a happy, satisfying, and righteous life, as well as a better world. You can subscribe to the ethics of a particular religion, or you can develop your own, based on your experiences.
 * 6) Look at the choices you've made in your past, and observe how much you have or haven't lived by those principles. Don't waste time feeling regretful or guilty. Remember that "...until a person can say deeply and honestly, I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday, that person cannot say, I choose otherwise." -Stephen R. Covey.
 * 7) Decide what you must change in your behavior to align your life more closely to what you believe.
 * 8) Be conscious every day of the decisions you make, however big or small, and how close they bring you to being the person you really want to be.

Tips

 * Keep a journal, and record your progress every day.
 * You'll probably feel your self-confidence and personal strength growing as you face and overcome challenges in sticking to your values, whatever they may be.
 * Consult the life and work of Victor Frankl, best summarized by this quotation: "'We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances - to choose one's own way.'"

Warnings

 * Beware of people who'll try and convince you to give up on your character or integrity, saying that nobody's perfect, and taunting you for being such an idealist. The fact that nobody's perfect doesn't mean violating what you believe is right. It's good to learn from our mistakes, but we don't always need to make mistakes in order to learn. Remember that striving to be perfect and being perfect are two different ideas; one is the pursuit of integrity, and the latter is an exercise in futility.
 * Your character is unique. It may not match with anybody else. So do not try for it. Build it on the basis of your own aptitude and inner light within you. Self assessment, self evaluation, introspection etc work well, but never get disheartened by petty failures and criticism revolving around failures. Stand firm on your convictions. You are bound to succeed.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Be Nice
 * How to Be Cheerful and Kind
 * How to Be Honest With Yourself
 * How to Be A Glamorous, Confident Girl
 * How to Date a Confident Girl
 * How to Strengthen Character