The Integrity Factor

A Foundational Life Skill For A Successful Future

Honesty is always the best policy, but what does that even mean anymore? Often times we hear that truth has become relative and our society now regularly accepts various “versions” of truth in an effort not to offend anyone. The problem with that approach is it virtually eliminates absolutes and the healthy boundaries that accompany them. Lying has unfortunately become socially acceptable and at times even encouraged and applauded as “skillful”.

More Than Just A Life Skill; It’s A Lifestyle

One of the biggest challenges we face at OGI is introducing our students to the critical importance of being honest. Lying, being evasive and exaggeration have been survival tactics for most of them and if you heard what some of them have been through, you probably wouldn’t blame them either.

We incorporate integrity early in our curriculum because it is a foundational life skill that the rest of their lives can be built on. We teach our students that like any building, its stability is only as good as its foundation. If the foundation is faulty, the building won’t stand and ultimately would be dangerous for anyone to enter as a collapse could be imminent.

Integrity is the foundation of your life. If your integrity is not in tact, your foundation is faulty and a collapse is probably imminent. Integrity is woven into the fabric of all other life skills. Living a lie is exhausting because it has an insatiable appetite and needs to be consistently fed in order to survive.  Once you tell a lie, you have to maintain it.

Most of our students breathe a huge sigh of relief when they learn that living a life of integrity is SO much easier than living a lie. All the fear, torment, anxiety and stress that accompanies lying just melts away when you have nothing to hide. Their confidence improves; they hold their heads higher and the smile is undeniable. You can’t put a price on a clear conscience.

A minor adjustment can have major implications and completely change the trajectory of your life simply by deciding you will ALWAYS tell the truth and never compromise your integrity for anything or anyone.

At OGI, we teach our students the three stages of moral principles  that assist with living a life of integrity:

MORAL KNOWING – MORAL VALUING – MORAL ACTING

It’s not enough to simply know about integrity; everyone knows about integrity, the question is, do you value it enough to act on it consistently? Our students are taught that being consistently honest will eventually earn the trust and respect of their leader which will ultimately lead to a promotion for them.

“With integrity, you have nothing to fear since you have nothing to hide.” – Zig Ziglar

We are each responsible for our personal integrity; the human will being the most powerful force on the planet. Choosing to turn your back on dishonesty for a life of integrity will cost you something. Some of our students have had to end toxic relationships that were negative influences on them, but the benefits have far exceeded anything they could have ever imagined.

JudyLamborn designed the Life Skills component of OGI’s Culinary Arts Program model currently taught in classrooms around the world.