My biggest pet peeve is sitting at a long red light late at night when there aren't any other cars around. I could just roll through the light and no one would notice, right? Right, but I still sit there and wait, because I strive to have integrity. Wikipedia defines integrity as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. I like to say integrity is what you do when no one is around. To have integrity is to put real effort towards your own life.

It is easy to be beautiful and primped when you are out and about. It is easy to put a smile on and act like you are Superman who can do anything. But that is not having integrity or being authentic. If you go home at night and are not happy with your day, you are spending your 24 hours wrong. It is the little things that count like choosing a healthy food over a feast of guilt. It is asking an elderly woman if she needs help carrying something or smiling at a stranger. But what about when you are home alone?

When you are home alone in a quiet empty space, are you happy? Do you still have a smile? Are you still superman? If you don't, you should. Change your mind. The mind is a powerful thing and it is always with you. Train yourself to have integrity. Train yourself to do good even though no one is looking. This means pray when no one can see you and without someone asking you to. You could volunteer without the influence of others, but because you want to. And of course, the classic, do the dishes without being asked.

Picture someone without integrity. That would be such an empty life. Everything they do is for others to view. It would be so tiring and lonely. I love Blake Shelton's song Who Are You When No One is Looking. He says "Who are you when I'm not around? When the door is locked and the shades are down? Do you listen to your music quietly? And when it feels just right, are you thinkin' of me?" When you are home alone, you have four walls to fill. What will you fill them with? Stuff for people to see or collect dust? No, you need to go out and be involved for your own sake, not for anyone else. Go out and do good things for your community so that you may take the satisfaction home with you. Let the good work fill your mind with happiness. Then when you are home, do good things for yourself like read a book or take a relaxing bath. Running around and being too busy is bad for you, and you need to schedule my time.

You can train yourself to enjoy doing good deeds for yourself and others that are out of your way and inconvenient. We need to remember who we are doing it all for, though, God. It will enrich your life to have integrity. You are worth more than what people see. You have purpose.