I Hold The Torch To: Personal Integrity
Daniel Kullback, NLC
I hold the torch to personal integrity—but not the kind of personal integrity that concerns interactions with others, as that is always necessary. I’m talking about the kind of integrity that requires you to be honest and respectful of yourself. Don’t get me wrong, selflessness is a very great trait to have, but on some occasions everyone has to look out for number one.
There will be times in life when there are certain people you want—maybe even need—to impress. That being said, nobody should ever feel the need to violate their own personal integrity to impress others. For example, peer pressure is a really powerful motivator, and I challenge you to say “no” when you face it if succumbing to it would comprise your personal integrity. Easier said than done? Try it once and then see how you feel the next day, accomplishing everything you need to do while your friends lay around the house all day hung-over.
This kind of personal integrity involves more than just how you will choose to react to peer pressure. It’s also about self-awareness and self-respect—which are so crucial to our well being, especially at the age where some of us are trying to figure out what we want to do for the rest of our lives. I invite you to really reflect on who you are and who you want to be, and then I hope you will go be that person you just thought of.
I hold the torch being the person that…
- Knows exactly what you want to do in life
- Doesn’t know exactly what you want to do, but is actively searching for it
- Takes time out of the day for self-reflection, mental well-being, and physical health
- Is confident in yourself, but not cocky
- Stays in one night because you need to pursue your passions the next day
- Doesn’t do anything you wouldn’t want to do, even if that one hottie wants you to
- Never settles
Ask yourself…
- Is going out tonight when you should be studying really worth the potential fallout?
- Do I really want to do that, or am I just trying to fit in with this crowd?
- How will I feel about this decision tomorrow?
- What do I really want to do…?
Learn all about “I Hold the Torch,” the Integrity Week 2015 Initiative of the NLC! Hold the torch, meet the challenge, and get involved as student leaders on your campus, all across the #NSCSnation!