When I first met The Good Husband nearly thirty-five years ago, I sensed something special. Yeah, yeah, there was pure teenage attraction and unrestrained passion, but it was more than that.
As a 17-year old, he exuded an aura of calm and inner connection that I wanted to better understand. It took another year before we began dating and I had the opportunity to figure out how this guy ticked. Within a few months, after seeing him function in the world and in his family home, I knew that the secret was integrity. The man has impeccable integrity, as did his father before him. Integrity is the essence that guides his every act, and has as long as I’ve known him.
Like many others over the years, I saw in this man, felt in his presence, a sense of wonder and possibility. I recognized an option to be a better version of myself. I wanted to learn that, be that, so that I could walk a similar path and emit that kind of light. It took some time, but for the most part, I succeeded.
Not long ago, I came across a related quote and am compelled to share it. It is, quite simply, an essential truth. It’s part of a philosophy, an outlook, and a lifestyle that can lead to only good things. And it correlates beautifully with another of my favorite quotes, gifted by Ghandi: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
Have a read, then let me know what you think:
“People of integrity seem to have a kind of built-in ability to handle whatever comes up as they go toward success. You see, when you act from integrity, you don’t lie. When you don’t lie, you have no need to remember. When you don’t have anything to remember, you don’t have to save your energy for protection, in fear of being found out; then you have access to all your energy in the present. When you have your energy present, here and now, you are in a better position to handle whatever comes up. If you do that often enough, you’ll gain an enormous amount of self-confidence, a belief in yourself based on empirical evidence — your life.
When you live a life of integrity, your success may very well manifest as wealth in friendships, trust, admiration, respect, and the ability to inspire others.”
- John-Roger, American Author & Spiritual Leader
I feel the same way about my husband. He has a strong but quiet sense of right and wrong. He always does “the right thing.” He’s not arrogant about it, he’s centered and sure. Even during the times of life when our relationship suffered, I never stopped believing in his essential goodness and integrity.
We are fortunate ones. I never forget that.