One of the rules I live by is that, whatever I do in my life, for my children to be able to look back on my life and think “Mom was cool, and she didn’t have to get drunk or do drugs to do it.” So often parents are pointed out as being hypocrites; “do as I say, not as I do” people. Integrity falls by the waist side because either the bar that they have set for themselves is impossibly high, or they lack faith in themselves to do what is right, so they don’t bother doing it at all. They search for shortcuts to rewards, rather than doing what they expect others to do, and then they give people a hard time when others follow their example. No wonder a lot of kids these days see their parents and, based on their parents past, call them out to be a hypocrite, and then rebel. It’s a credibility issue.
We are not perfect. I certainly know I’m not, however, that doesn’t mean that any of us should give up just because we flawed. We are perfect in our imperfection. We are puzzle pieces, built to connect, and that’s perfectly fine. The one thing is, we should not be the first ones to give up on ourselves. I hate to say it, but a lot of times we will feel like the last ones standing. I know I have. Doing what is right has it’s rewards, but doing the right thing doesn’t always mean being boring. It means being coherent enough to be aware of the circumstances and to be able to take advantage and enjoy the circumstances when they appear.
I’ve been called goody two-shoes, I’ve been called the responsible one, I have also been called boring, but that’s because I don’t follow their rules. Understand, when you follow someone else, you’re playing their game. You are essentially their pawn. Do what is right, not only for yourself, but for the family you plan on having. I know one day my husband and I will start a family, and I want to be able to raise our kids the right way, with credibility and showing them, they don’t need to follow the crowd, or do the same kinds of stupid things a lot of kids do to have an extraordinary life.