One of the most important things in life is knowing yourself and being true to who that person is.  That is the exact definition of integrity.

When you have integrity, you are the same person wherever you are.

You are not pushed or pulled or swayed. You are yourself, authentic to the core.

That means knowing your limitations and sticking to those limitations.

Be aware when seeking to maintain your integrity and your limitations of influential creep.

A wise person once proposed that you can know the essence of a person’s character by knowing their circle of friends.  Often those people who we most commune with tend to have the greatest impact on our lives, our thinking, our behaviors, and our habits.

 

If you aspire to be better, you have to build a circle of people who aspire to be better.

Would you believe it if I said that one person could work all their lives to build a certain standard? But, by simply moving into a new circle of friends, despite how many years they may have held to a standard, a poor influence can weaken that resolve?

Would you believe it if I told you that even if you kept to certain principles for years, it only takes a few days to deconstruct all that you have built?

Beware of influential creep

Influential creep is when little by little your circle of influence begins to impact and shape who you are. If you are not careful you can become someone that you don’t recognize and even someone you don’t like.

I know first-hand accounts of people whose lives have been flipped upside down simply by choosing the wrong circle of friends. People who were once healthy and whole became broken, struggling to get their lives back.

Their lives will never be the same.

There is more than enough pain and suffering in life.

Be wary of the people that you let come into your life. The wrong people will leave dirty footprints in your mind.

you have to resolve;

Those type of people will make you doubt all that you have done to be the person you have worked to be. Some things you just can’t come back from.