I was taking my puppy for a walk this afternoon along a deserted road. It was that perfect “nap time” window in between completed Sunday chores and preparation for Sunday night dinner, and there wasn’t a soul to be seen. As my walking companion stopped to do her business, I had that fleeting thought (as I KNOW some of you fellow dog owners have had) cross my mind saying “nobody is around, and it’s really just fertilizer when it comes down to it, so…maybe I can leave it” 

Instead, I pulled the disposable bag out of my jacket pocket and stooped down to take care of it.  At that moment I heard a booming voice (literally out of nowhere it seemed) cry out “THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT!” I pulled myself up, looked around and here in this shed a gentleman had been working in his shop, completely unbeknownst to me! He continued “Nobody ever cleans up after their dogs and even worse! They leave it in a bag on my gate!”

Now, I’m not sharing this with you to get a pat on the back for cleaning up after my dog (but please go ahead if you’d like!).  I share this because it reminded me of integrity, one of the values our society sometimes forgets about in the age of cutting corners and instant gratification.  It’s doing the right thing when nobody is looking, it’s practicing kindness to a stranger not because it will get you an award, but because it’s the right thing to do. It’s not taking that shortcut in your professional life even though it could save you an hour or two. It’s taking that extra few minutes to share your knowledge with your competitor because paying it forward was how you were raised.

So to all of you who are reading this, here’s wishing you a week filled with integrity as you navigate your way through this beautiful thing called life!