Honor, Integrity and Trust… three of the rarest of human commodities… and the three most needed among humanity. It is what makes us “human” and separates us from the real beasts that tear each other apart for something as small as a scrap of meat.
Honor is a word many use, but few seem to truly grasp the meaning of. It is not something that can be given to another person, but rather something each person must find within themselves.
Honor is neither meek nor oppressive. It is not cruel and does not demand that one “owes” a debt for a deed done. It is not spitting on the weak, nor abusing the faint-hearted. Honor is not misaligning or gossiping about another individual, nor is it using a trusted secret to one’s own gain. When a person has honor, they believe in defending the weak from those stronger than themselves. Honor is standing up for what is right, no matter what your peers say or your enemies criticize. It is fighting for that one spark of the divine, that one thing that makes a difference in someone’s life.
Integrity is what is built off the desire to be honest and ethical in all things, and the desire to be good to all people, regardless of race, religion and creed.
Integrity is the decision to be honest and to follow a code of morality in all things, not just when it is convenient. It is not conning, stealing, lying or taking advantage of another person just because you can. It is not taking for granted someone’s kindness, but appreciating their efforts to welcome you into a larger world. Wild dogs tear each other apart with abandoned viciousness and frenzied fury. Human beings, with all our technology and knowledge, have never risen as we should above this when so many are still so willing to destroy without cause, injure without mercy and abandon without conscience.
Trust is something given as a gift from one individual to another. It is the core of what binds marriages, friendships and families together.
Trust is not a God-given right, but rather something precious and fragile. It should be safeguarded as a jealous husband watches over his wife, for once broken, it is like a shattered teacup… almost impossible to repair. Even when you are lucky enough to repair the damage and regain that trust, there are always pieces missing, and memories that are never wiped away. Yet trust is one of the most powerful and moving forces known to man. It brings nations together and comforts a newborn child in its mother’s arms. It is what opens conversations and closes business deals. It is what brings couples together and gets children on the bus for their first day of school. Why would you throw such a precious gift away?
Knowing the truth of what Honor, integrity and trust really are brings a whole new perspective to our lives. It is enlightening to take a deep look at our own actions as we have conducted ourselves over the years. No person is innocent of wrongdoing. All of us have taken steps in our lives that at some point have led to a fall from grace. That is the very nature of what it is to be human. The difference between those who are moral and ethical and those who are not is what they do after those mistakes. If you can step up and acknowledge your mistakes… if you can own them and accept responsibility for your own mistakes instead of constantly blaming others for your actions… then you have grown and stepped into a larger world. Those who refuse to accept the blame for their own actions and blame their mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, friends and significant others are never going to find satisfaction in their own lives. They are too busy jumping from one denial to the next and drowning themselves in their crutch… alcohol, drugs, crimes and illicit behavior that stands in opposition to the moral society we as a race have tried to build.
Yet even in the face of this reality, hope springs ever eternal. Each and every human being is born with one equal equation… the ability to change. That ability can happen at any given moment with any and every given breath. It is as simple as making the right decision and taking that first step into a larger world. If you cannot do it for yourself, then think of those you love… your family, your friends, your children, and do it for the future you are denying yourself. People all around you make those choices every day, taking that first step to find themselves again. And there are people that sacrifice themselves so you can have that opportunity, so don’t shame them by letting their selflessness fall to the wayside unrecognized.
For the young it means recognizing all your parents have done for you to give you a better life. For the spouse it means recognizing the love you were given the moment your partner took their first step into your life. For the parents it means taking the trust you have been given by your children and by life itself in giving you that young child and helping it grow and learn, protecting its future and the boundaries by which all life must evolve. This does not mean you will not make mistakes. But you can take those mistakes and use them to help you grow stronger and more understanding with each passing day. If we take each other by the hand and walk together into a brighter future, we can all find what we are looking for the most… the love, recognition and acceptance that comes with loving the one that needs it first and foremost in your life… yourself.
There are men and women throughout the world that stand in defense and protection of your country to give you a chance to make those choices to find yourself once more. It doesn’t matter where you live or what country you live in, you are still protected by men and women that believe in Honor, Integrity and trust. They fight for it every day. They stand before you holding hands to form an impenetrable wall behind which you can stand free if you have the strength to claim it for yourself. Remember, freedom is not defined by the ability to walk down a street. Even a man in prison can find freedom, because true freedom comes from within your own heart. When you free your mind no prison can hold you, no person can imprison you and no fault can find you as long as you remain true to that one constant… your honor, integrity and trust.
I challenge each of you that reads this to remember a friend, a family member, a loved one… anyone you know that has freely given of themselves to help you in some way. Remember someone that has cared for you, fought for you, spoken up in your defense, or just someone you heard about in the news. Honor them with your actions, thoughts and deeds each and every day. We are the future… all of us… youngest to oldest, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters… grandparents, nieces and nephews… we all have someone we love… someone we want to have a better future. Someone once told me that a single stone can make waves in an entire pond. It’s true and it begins with each of us. Every person that takes that step becomes part of a greater solution to the violence, the chaos, the greed, and the hatred of each other. Those are the base sides of who we are. But when you look at an infant… your own child… can you really say that is the kind of future you want for them? Together as one united race under the sun we can take a step forward and become the truly great society so many have already died to make. Honor them now by joining together and shedding your old skin for a new one.
Find your honor and find yourself.