We talk a lot about integrity, in the context of adherence to moral and ethical principles, soundness of moral character, and honesty. But really, when your life is congruent, integrity is taken care of.
Definition of Congruency
In the context of one’s life, congruency means that:
- your beliefs, values, and actions are all in
- agreement,
- harmony,
- conformity,
- and correspondence.
- all parts and areas of your life are moving in the same direction.
- you walk your talk.
For example, someone who smokes and yet makes a point of eating healthy and getting regular exercise is not making congruent choices. Someone who has one area of his life sabotaging, weakening, or undermining another area of his life does not have a congruent lifestyle.
The reason most people are unconsciously breaking down their own success and limiting themselves is because of three things:
- First, they don’t have clearly defined, measurable goals for their lives.
- Second, they fail to measure and notice what they’re doing and what the ripple effects of their choices are,
- and thirdly, because they’re lazy, addicted, apathetic, or just plain stupid.
But for those of us who are committed to happiness, success, and reaching our full potential, focusing on congruency can skyrocket you to unprecedented heights of success.
Every choice in every area of your life affects every other area – everything in your life is interconnected.
No Involvement, No Commitment.
Stephen Covey said that when we live according to our values, we will be happy. He also said,
“Without involvement, there’s no commitment. Mark it down, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment.”
That makes sense, since you can’t deal with life at arm’s length. Whatever you focus on will grow, and you only have 24 hours a day to attain your success and happiness. Having the intestinal fortitude to define your values, beliefs, and philosophy, and then to arrange your goals in each area of your life so that they all fit and support each other, is indeed a smart thing to do, and very rare.
Perhaps one percent of people do this. You can, too.
It’s a simple choice.
Defining Our Own Philosophy
Defining our own philosophy and world view, and then deciding what we want our lives to look like, taking into account every area of life:
- social,
- mental,
- physical,
- financial,
- family,
- work,
- etc.,is the first step to greatness.
Then, look at your present lifestyle and choices through this lens, and decide what and who needs to be:
- adjusted,
- removed,
- fixed,
- added,
- and tweaked.
That‘s the scary and exciting part, because it will tell you exactly how much you are committed to what you say you believe and want.
Your philosophy of life is like your GPS, or compass. It will guide you to it’s ultimate purpose, be it self-sacrifice and resentment, or greatness and fulfillment.
Align All the Areas of Your Life
Then, it’s time to take action, to align all the areas of your life with your goals and values. This means removin
- certain people,
- groups,
- activities,
- choices,
- and input,
- and adding new stuff.
It’s like
- pulling the thorn out of your foot,
- wiping the dog poo off the bottom of your shoe,
- filling your gas tank,
- joining a health club,
- buying a bicycle,
- and canceling your membership to a club of losers.
It’s a wonderful way to spring clean your life, repaint it, and spruce it up.
It’s weeding the garden and planting new, beautiful flowers.
Having the guts to commit to being real and honest, no matter what the cost, is a wonderful investment in your happiness and self-esteem.
The Midas Touch
People who live congruent lives feel that whatever they touch turns to gold – success starts to “flow” for them. Things start going their way.
- They breathe easier.
- They sleep well.
- They confront issues with courage and confidence.
- They seem to attract successful people and circumstances.
- They start liking and respecting themselves more, so others start treating them better, too.
- They come out of the closet, so to say, into the bright sunlight of energy, purpose, and freedom.
This is scary for losers, who live on excuses, but exciting for winners, who love creating their own dream lives:
“Every thought, word, action, cent, decision, commitment, second, minute, hour, and mouthful of food COUNTS.”
Evaluate Your Life
I encourage you to evaluate your life and decide if it’s congruent or not. Since 97% of our problems, including our most valuable resource – our time, can be solved or significantly alleviated with money, as I have found being a Joint Venture Broker to be the most valuable tool available for facilitating a life of congruency, freedom, and happiness.
March 5th, 2010 at 8:56 am
Great guide, and many thanks for taking the effort to publish it; really opened my eyes for some new perspectives that I hadn’t thought of before.