Integrity & Grace

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a beautiful new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast...home of the 2017 World Series Champion Houston Astros! #HoustonStrong

Gotta few things I want to share this morning. This first one I found THIS morning, like 10 minutes ago! :) The following was posted by Proactive Coaching on their Facebook page and can be found at positivethingsonly.com. I hope it affirms & inspires you.

Here Are 13 Traits of People that Have True Integrity:

- They are trustworthy
Trust is actually the most common trait of these people. Once people with integrity have gained your trust, they will try to keep it.

- They are honest
They are honest people who don't feel the need to lie because they want to get where they need to get in life without lying.

- They are authentic
People with true integrity are actually their truest forms. You will never catch them in a lie.

- They do good things whenever they can
They often help others. They enjoy improving others lives.

- They are humble
They don't quite know their own worth. Although they do good things, they do not quite notice their act of kindness.

- They apologize first
In case people with true integrity have done something wrong, they will actually apologize. They admit their mistake as well as try to make things right.

- They believe other people
They don't take lying well. In case you lie to them, they will never take your word again.

- They are kind to people that need it
If you look like you need a little pick me up, people with true integrity will try to brighten up your day.

- They realize when something is bothering others
These people have a great intuition, which allows them to realize when something is going on. In case someone is down in the dumps, people with true integrity will notice.

- They give others the benefit of the doubt
People with true integrity try to see the good in others as they feel like many people have integrity, as well. So, in case you take advantage of these people too much, they will probably get rid of you.

- They don't argue over disagreements
These people often talk through things in a civil manner. Sometimes, they don't talk at all. They don't argue over anything ridiculous.

- They don't take advantage of other people
They don't take advantage of other people. In addition, they often build others up as well as help them get where they need to be.

- They credit people that deserve it
Those who have true integrity don't take credit for things they didn't do. Moreover, they often credit people that deserve it. In case you help them with a project, they will probably mention your name so you would take credit for your work.

- They value other people's time
These people value their own time as well as they value other people's time. This means that they understand that you have many other places you need to be. That's why they do not hold you up.

- They are genuine
They show their genuineness by action. For example, they will return lost money without expecting any reward of praise.

- They hold themselves accountable
They have strong commitment standards. This means that they set goals and try to achieve them. In case they feel that they are wavering from their goals, they adjust quickly.

- They hold you accountable
In case you tell your goals to these people, they may try to help you achieve them. In fact, it is the need to help other people succeed that drives them.

Now I want to transition to another thought/idea. What, or where, do you turn when you go through a difficult season of life? Jon Gordon, in his book Training Camp: A Fable About Excellence, credits Tony Boselli, a former College Football All American and Pro Bowl Offensive Lineman with the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the idea of "during training camp everyone turns to something, you have to turn to the right things." To say it another way, "during difficult seasons of life, we all turn to something, you have to turn to the right things." Some turn to God, the Bible, wise counselors, etc. Others turn to alcohol, drugs, inappropriate relationships, etc. We are all going to go through storms. We are all going to turn to something. That something determines HOW we go through the storm and WHO we are when we come out on the other side of the storm. Please remember Sweet Friends, just as surely as storms will come they will also pass.

And shifting gears on you again real quick this morning, I want to share briefly something that happened during the World Series. By the way, did I mention the Houston Astros won?! :)

You might have seen, and probably heard, what happened during the 2nd inning of Game 3. Yuli Gurriel of the Astros hit a home run off of Yu Darvish of the Dodgers. Yuli then made an inappropriate racial gesture and an inappropriate racial slur. The cameras caught it and the world reacted.

Yu Darvish is a great pitcher. He had a tough World Series however failing moments don't define the greatness of an athlete any more than they do the greatness of a person. Be sure, Yu is a great athlete however he is an even greater human being.

While the world reacted with the vitriol that has become far to common, Yu responded completely differently. While acknowledging that the act was "disrespectful," Yu did something that still has me standing in awe. He sent out a tweet that, according to sports.yahoo.com said, "No one is perfect. That includes both you and I. What he has done today isn't right, but I believe we should put our effort into learning rather than to accuse him. If we can take something from this, that is a giant step for mankind. Since we are living in such a wonderful world, let's stay positive and move forward instead of focusing on anger. I am counting on everyone's big love." Wow...

I also read somewhere else that one of Yuli's mentors on the Astros is friends with Yu. According to the article I read, Yuli was really down about everything that happened. Yu's friend on the Astros texted Yu sharing that Yulie felt really bad, was down, etc. Yu then texted the mentor back and said something to the affect of, "Please tell him I still think he is a good person. He just made a mistake." When the mentor showed this to Yuli everything changed. The offended had told the offender he still believed in him...how different that life will now be. This is the definition of grace. And it should be noted, when Yuli came up to bat against Yu in Game 7, he tipped his cap to Yu as a sign of respect. How different this all could have gone down had Yu responded differently.

I am like any Dad/parent; I want my Tender Warriors to do good in anything they pursue, be it athletics, school, etc. While they watch and mimic the actions of great football/baseball players and strive to achieve their level of success, I pray they strive to be men like Yu. This world desperately needs them!

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev