There are numerous lessons in life everyone has to learn. Just recently a reoccurring theme in my life is personal integrity. My year 12 drama teacher said personal integrity is one of the most important values anyone can have. Only now, almost 3 years later, do I fully understand exactly what he meant.

For anyone who doesn't quite understand the meaning behind integrity, in short it pretty much refers to doing what is right and honest by you, even if it means owning up to something you'd much rather not own up too or doing the right thing, because it is the right thing to do and on top of all else you want to do it.

Learning this lesson this week actually has very little to do with me, but more to do with my personal observations of those around me. The saddest part of these personal observations is that the only reason I fully understand it is because I noticed that someone who meant a lot to me five days ago, I now have little to no respect for. Why? Because they have no integrity. This made me pause and take into consideration how I was feeling about my position in the world. How is my personal integrity adding up? Is it still there?

In short, I can say I did a lot of soul searching within myself to answer just these questions and have decided I have more integrity now than I ever have before. I am standing by my soul mate because I love him. Not because it is beneficial to me, but because I love him and I know he is the best thing that ever happened to me. He is my best friend. He is my lover. He is my soul mate. Thats just the short of it.

As for those of us that are doubting our personal integrity, look around, you're not the only one. If every once is a while you stepped back from you and looked at how other people operate and where their priorities lie in terms of who they would put first; themselves or you? You will begin to understand exactly the type of person you want to be perceived as.

At the end of the day, people still love you, even if you do screw up. Those people have a lot of personal integrity. they will stand by you, because they want to and they believe in you, not just because there is an obligation to. Love each other.

Krystle.

*For my Soul Mate. Because I never want you to feel like you have no one, because that's just not it.*