Guest Opinion: Integrity

This Guest Post was written by Ian Camacho. You can read his blog about the entertainment production industry at http://producerindevelopment.wordpress.com/
If you would like to be the next Guest blogger, write a comment or send an email!

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“Integrity is nice to have and all, but it is a luxury for those without any real life responsibilities.”

I saw this comment on an Internet forum in response to one of those articles about integrity. It gave me serious pause as it had more of an emotional effect on me than that entire clichéd article about integrity. And since this blog basically is all about our integrity with the world, I felt it was worth examining.

When I am fully honest with myself, that’s what I really think deep down, isn’t it? I mean, how can I balance a life full of responsibilities, not to mention desires and obligations, which often compete and conflict with one another?

So I had to look at the statement again and really break it down.

Let’s first look at the word integrity. Most people use it to mean “honest” or “good”. While those are nice things to have, that is not the definition of integrity. To have integrity is to be whole and complete, meaning that my words align with my actions. Looking at it from that perspective, every action I take in one area of my life impacts every other part, even when I put on masks and personas elsewhere.

Taking an even wider perspective, every single thing I do affects not just me, but every other thing on the planet in some way, whether or not I am aware of the consequences.

I mean, sure, I would like the world to be a better place and be in better health, but not if it means having to change my current ways. Someone else, somewhere, somehow will take care of it. I’ve got my own life issues to deal with, like paying the bills, building my career and all the rest of my problems. So now what?

Let’s look at the second part of the statement: “Those without any real life responsibilities”.

So that got me thinking as to what person has no life responsibilities? Then I realized: someone who is dead. To be alive is to have problems and responsibilities; only the dead have none. That’s why they say, “rest in peace”.

As living human beings, we cannot be perfect in our integrity. We can become better integrated in all of our affairs so that there is less separation between our various “realms” (health, home, spiritual, financial, job, relationships, etc) and be more present, authentic, vulnerable and loving with others. But we also must accept that we are selfish, inauthentic, hypocritical, imperfect and deeply flawed. This is what it means to be human.

At first I found it depressing, but now I find it freeing. When I can admit and believe that I am never going to be fully in my integrity until the day I die, and that I will always try to look good and be selfish, then I can accept myself and others in the world who are the same way.

It may not be the luxury of integrity, but I’ll settle for acceptance and keep my real life problems, thank you very much.

Less of you

I'm sorry if you will be disappointed to find out this post will not be about weight loss, as the title may be deceiving. Instead this week I am writing about humility. Many people make the mistake of thinking that humility means timidity or even insecurity. It is more accurate to think of it as a moderate view of oneself - as in Romans 12:3, "not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (ESV)" This means thinking neither too highly nor too lowly of yourself but take an honest assessment of where you are. 

This might lead you to believing you need to spend a lot of time inward focused but I actually think the best way to remain humble is to keep your eyes on the world at large. I ran a race this weekend with my accountability partner that neither of us were properly trained for. Rather than foolishly pushing ourselves (to injury) we intentionally went at a slower pace by remaining in conversation. If we couldn't talk, then we were going too fast. In contrast, my friend's husband focused on getting a good time and surged ahead. At the end of the race, we found that he had missed a lot of the interesting scenery and still didn't end up finishing as fast as he would've liked. By keeping our eyes ahead and gaging each other's progress, my partner and I were able to complete the race together and savor the experience.

In your journey through health and faith, being humble (or in tune with your place) you will be able to make the more appropriate choice, less likely to be discouraged by disillusionment, and more willing to accept the help and advice of others with greater knowledge. You will also find that others are will recognize your honesty and want to engage with you. I think this is what Jesus meant when he said in Matthew 5:5, "God blesses those who are the humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. (NLT)"

We want YOU!

Hello FU3Lers!

I am putting out a call for any guest blog writers. As I am returning to full-time school and work, I will not be able to keep up with the posts as well. I also think I have laid down sufficient foundation that it is clear what the mission and goals of this blog are. If you have any opinions - in agreement or dissent - I'd love to hear from you! I hope this will become a community forum, not merely my place to voice a solitary opinion.

It can be a review, a comment on something you've read, a fresh perspective. It can be in the form of a poem, essay, video. Heck, even a funny song parody will do :) As long as it comments on the intersection of food, fitness, and faith then this is the platform.

Please email any ideas or submissions to fu3ledlife [at] gmail.com. Note the 3 in place of the first e because without it, you are sending to an unknown internet entity (dun dun DUN).

Lead by Example

As Labor Day approaches, most of us are returning to our routines. As I wrote in the last post, we can take this time to consider how to integrate FU3L into our daily lives most effectively. I highly recommend reaching your food, fitness, and faith goals with another, either a partner or a whole community (see post about tracking for more).  I have found that after you've won the struggle for consistency in your own life, the next battle can be to bring others into your lifestyle. But we know that "actions speak louder than words" and the best way to recruit another to join you is to show them how.

An article on CNN highlights how the well-regarded pastor Rick Warren infused FU3L into his church. He saw the unhealthy state of his congregation but before addressing that need, he took a look at himself. He took to heart the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:5 (and Luke 6:42) that says, "...first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." He started by cutting out soda and then found inspiration from the book of Daniel to eat a diet of fruits and vegetables. Once he was able to shed pounds, he could call his church to follow his lead. As a group, they've started fitness initiatives and supported each other.

Rick Warren knew that just being a famous and oft-published church leader wouldn't be what motivated those he was shepherding. They had to see that he was willing to literally practice what he preached. And now the Saddleback church has taken ownership of their own journey to a FU3Led Life.

And why should we care about health from a Christian perspective? I really like Rick Warren's perspective: "The Father made your body, Jesus paid for your body, the Spirit lives in your body. You better take care of it." Amen

May I Cut In?

I have been convalescing this week after 8 weeks of wearing down my immune system. I had been working and travelling at a pace that my body could not keep up with until it finally gave up on me and I was forced to stop. Luckily (or rather, in God's timing) it was the start of my 10 day break from work and other commitments. This time allowed me to consider the effect of interruptions on a FU3Led Life.

In an earlier post, I posited on the role of rest. The difference being that one usually considers rest a welcome break while an interruption is a nuisance. Like many things in life, it becomes a matter of attitude and you can choose to see any break - planned or not - as a time for reflection and revaluation. Naturally when you are sick, you begin with self-pity but you can turn the tide and look at what the time away is teaching you. It is always good to see that the world continues to work without you and realize that if you make a change, others will adapt. A good question to ask yourself is, "Does how and where I am spend most of my time and effort accurately represent my goals and beliefs?" and if the answer isn't "yes" without any conditions then consider how you can change that.

When you settle back into normalcy after an interruption, there is a period of adjustment - that time where you take the steps needed to get back to where you were. An interruption forces instant awareness so that you can return to that state after the cause for interruption passes. That awareness is an asset! You can intentionally set new habits and routine that can FU3L you more effectively as you set your course back on track. As we are returning to school, work, family, etc after our vacations let us come back to the food, fitness, and faith we will use to FU3L our lives. And the next time something unexpected comes along, welcome it with open arms :)

Transparency is a 2-way Street

Honesty is the best policy. The truth will set you free. We've all heard these aphorisms so often that we may even roll our eyes a bit when we hear them used in society. However I must resort to them (and a few more along the way) for this post as we look at the importance of transparency in FU3Led. You will find greater success in centering yourself around food, fitness, and faith if you are a person of candor. In both fitness and faith, being held accountable for your trials and triumphs will keep you on the right path (as discussed in the previous post). By the same token, you should expect (demand even) the same honesty from your sources of FU3L.

One of the most confusing and frustrating places to find a straight answer is when looking at food sources. In the US, we have the benefit of nutrition facts on packaged food but you may be surprised to learn what is not listed; a topic highlighted in this NY Times article about the Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) debate that is gaining attention. Food companies are only required to list and quantify certain ingredients. I'm sure you've wondered as I have when you've seen "natural flavoring" and wondered what qualifies in that category. Whether or not there is a negative effect of GMO in foods, one cannot make an informed decision without all the facts. Another adage applies here: Knowledge is Power.

Even if this issue is resolved, there are large portions of a diet that have little or no labeling requirements, such as fresh produce and butchers cuts. Additionally it can be difficult to keep track of the subtle differences between the terms "natural" and "organic" or "no sugar added" and "naturally sweetened". It is your responsibility as the consumer to inquire of your food suppliers about their practices. Unfortunately, you cannot rely on regulations to keep you healthy. I'll end by turning an old saying on its head, you should be a book that can be judged by its cover and one that seeks to be FU3Led by accurate book jackets.

Spice of Life

No, it's not curry! Perhaps you know this adage - Variety is the spice of life. It is natural in any process to have peaks and troughs but especially if you are trying out a new venture, such as a FU3Led Life, to fall into a rut or get discouraged. One great way to keep this tendency at bay is to vary your routines.

While I dread the humidity that befalls us in the summer, I love the expanded palate we are presented with from the summer harvest. A rainbow of produce is laid out at farmer's markets with new fruits and vegetables reaching their peak each week. Like interior decorating, experiment with color when assembling your dinner plate! Try combinations of sweet and savory or start simple by adding a new seasoning to an old dish. You may surprise yourself with what flavors you can create :)

The term for variety in the running world is cross-training. It essentially refers to any form of exercise that is not running. Yes, runners have a one-track mind (no pun intended). Straying from your preferred method of fitness will keep you from plateauing and ensure that all of your muscle groups are being challenged. Try a yoga DVD or go for a swim while the public pools are open!

Variety is abounding in the Christian life, from the range of worship music to styles of prayer. Stretch your faith by engaging in a novel practice, such as writing out your prayers in a letter or finding an opportunity to serve the poor in your community. In my small group, we discussed attending a Taize worship service comprised of chanting and periods of silence as this would be a digression from our contemporary praise-band led worship.

Leave a comment or send an email to tell other readers how you spice up your FU3Led Life!