Dedication, Discipline, and Integrity

Well, it's been seventeen long days since I last blogged... and my fans are starting to wonder what has happened (mainly just my mom and Joseph). So to keep riots from breaking out and my dorm room from being burned to the ground... ;) just kidding. Anyways, here I am, once again, and I'm afraid this time I have a lot to say.

There have been so many events happening in my life lately, none of which I want to blog about. However, in every situation, I have found myself learning A LOT about myself and just life in general. Recently, on facebook, I posted a status with five short rants describing (almost) every frustration I am dealing with right now. They were things like, "If you're in a relationship with someone who brings you down or takes you away from God, GET OUT!" and "Be dedicated to something, and for heaven's sake let it be something meaningful!" Really though, the gist of all of them come down to three characteristics that I just can't get off my mind: Dedication, Discipline, and Integrity.

This is my soap box for the day. If no one else cares about what I have to say, overall it's a lesson for myself. I've just been so frustrated because I look around and see people who don't necessarily quit or give up, but people who do not give 110%. Dedication is not about sticking with something until its finished; that's only a small part of it. I was raised by parents who taught me that I was to do my best work all the time. Recently my dad has been quoting Mother Theresa by saying "Wake up smiling, go to bed exhausted." Dedication means giving your all, all the time. Be organized, be prompt, have a plan, get off your butt and work hard. To do this, you must be disciplined, the second characteristic. That's what is wrong with people today: they have no discipline. I admit, I'm the worst at times. I hate doing homework, but I do it! I turn it in on time. I wake up in the mornings and I work hard all day. If you want to succeed, work hard. Be disciplined.

And then, there is integrity. I think integrity has a lot to do with dedication and discipline. I was recently at a church service and one of the ministers spoke about integrity and it has stuck with me ever since. You know, leaders should be people of integrity. If you want people to follow you, prove that your someone worth following. I've seen people in ministry who choose dinner dates and junk over showing up for Sunday services. That is not dedication, that is not discipline, and that is not integrity. However, integrity doesn't just apply to leaders, it applies to everyone. I saw a quote once, and I think I have mentioned it here before: "If everyone would sweep in front of their own door, the whole world would be clean." I think that is the biggest lesson I have learned here. I can't change anyone, but I can change myself. So I will. I've learned that people disappoint us, and there is nothing we can do, but we can determine for ourselves not to disappoint other people.