Integrity in Life

Last night, on the first night of Passover, my family got together for a Seder (it is a traditional meal that accompanies Passover, and throughout it, the history of Passover is explained). I love that my family always includes people unfamiliar with Passover and gives them a great introduction to some very basic Jewish culture. That is not what I am writing about today though.

After an incredible dinner and dessert, we always play games. Last night we played a game called Mafia in which there are "secret killers" who "kill" other players when our eyes are closed. You can learn more about the game here. At one point in the game, my fifteen year old cousin brought up the topic of integrity while playing the game. The game is all about convincing others to conspire with you and possibly defending yourself so that people do not vote you out.

My cousin's father was convinced that I was a mafia hitman and he was so sure, he was willing to bet his daughter that he would shave his head if he lost. I was not the mafia hitman. When the game was over, my cousin felt that her dad should shave his head because he had bet her during the game. The whole group decided that what happens in the game, stays in the game and that he would not be held accountable. The reasoning behind this was that it is a game that is all about lying and deceit in order to win and there would be many grudges after the game if we took the game too seriously.

What I was so impressed with was my cousin's awareness of integrity and her desired application of it in all settings. We suspended reality while we were playing the game; none of us are really involved in organized crime or hitmen for that matter.

Think about what integrity means to you and how you apply it in your everyday life. Is it more important in business situations? With family? In social settings? Just being aware of what integrity means to you is an excellent start in raising the awareness and bringing it more fully into your daily life.
~Paul