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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The Way of Integrity summary
Martha Beck
Finding the Path to Your True Self
21 mins
What is The Way of Integrity about?
The Way of Integrity (2021) is a four-stage process to finding integrity – a quality that can alleviate the suffering caused by harmful autopilot actions and beliefs. In reconnecting to what makes you feel whole, you’ll achieve a sense of purpose, emotional healing, and mental well-being.
Table of Contents
The Way of Integrity
summarized in 5 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 5
Integrity means being at one with your deepest, truest self – and it’s the antidote to suffering.
Think about your life. Maybe you have an OK job, OK relationships, and an OK sense of purpose. So maybe your life isn’t perfect – but whose is? Honestly, you’re fine.
Now think about how you feel. Does a sense of anxiety, discomfort, or disappointment lurk in your mind? Maybe you tend to dwell on things that didn’t work out or doubt that future dreams will ever come true. Emotionally, you might feel sad, grumpy, or numb; physically, you have no energy; and mentally, you can’t seem to focus. Still, honestly, you’re fine!
But are you, really? And what if, for that matter, fine isn’t enough? Maybe you suspect there’s more out there – more love, more meaning, more happiness.
This is where integrity comes in.
The key message here is: Integrity means being at one with your deepest, truest self – and it’s the antidote to suffering.
Today’s use of the word integrity has taken on a somewhat judgmental tone, but it just means intact, from the Latin integer. Being “in integrity” means being whole and undivided. When a plane has integrity, its many parts work together to make it glide smoothly through the sky. But if it loses integrity, it could stall or crash. That’s not about judgment – just physics.
It’s the same in everyday life. To satisfy social standards, you may often ignore or negate your true feelings, becoming unhappy, unproductive, and sick in the process. When you act in ways that don’t resonate at your deepest level, you suffer because you’re out of sync with yourself. In other words, you’re out of integrity.
Conversely, when your body, mind, heart, and soul are totally aligned, your daily work absorbs you. You love being around your friends, and you experience the most refreshing sleep. Waking up is wonderful because you can’t wait to experience the day ahead. Life, like the intact plane, is smooth sailing.
Maybe you’re rolling your eyes right now and thinking this is a lot of flapdoodle. But maybe you’re also wondering whether such a fulfilling life could exist – and maybe you’d like to discover these levels of joy and purpose.
These blinks reveal a way out of suffering that traces Dante’s journey through the stages of The Divine Comedy – a work the author considers a powerful set of instructions for healing psychological wounds and restoring integrity. First up? The Dark Wood of Error.
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Who should read The Way of Integrity?
- People who feel unhappy but aren’t sure why
- Disconnected individuals who want to improve their relationships
- Anyone seeking more joy and purpose in their life
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