A Practice in Concious Aging: Integrity

In our second issue of Sage-ing Times we turn our focus to Integrity, one of the ten Qualities of Sages in Service.

We practice integrity by being genuine and true to ourselves, being honest and trustworthy in relations with others, and being truthful in word and action in all circumstances.

Our integrity is associated with being honest with ourselves about what is important to us, what our passions are, honoring and cherishing the people most dear to us, and remaining respectful and truthful in our interactions. Integrity enters into every relationship we have with others, as well as with ourselves. There is an inherent challenge in remaining consistent in our commitment to all the many people, causes, and relationships we have throughout our lives. With an awareness of how integrity manifests in our lives, we can remain true to ourselves and authentic with others.

It may take courage to manifest integrity with ourselves, in our relationships, in our work, and in the world. I have come to believe that the word integrity may, in fact, be an action verb. Every day we make choices of what to say, how to say it and what to do.  Sometimes with the best of intentions, we choose words or behavior that might not align with our goal of being honest with ourselves, others and in the world. We are, after all, only human. So perhaps integrity is not only an action verb but a practice. As a practice we ask ourselves, are we living in alignment with our integrity? And sometimes the answer is no. So, we go back to our practice, and we learn and grow and commit to “integrity” again and again.

Can you live with integrity if you have not yet explored and gotten clear about your values and what is important to you?  This is really the first question. What are your values and what is important to you? How do you want to manifest integrity in your life?

Anne Boynton, CSL, tells her story about how taking action on climate change is an example of how she manifests her integrity in the world.

For me, integrity starts with being honest and true to myself. That means doing what I say I am going to do and keeping the commitments that I make to myself and others. Over the past forty years, environmental issues and concerns have compelled me to act on behalf of our planet. Many of the actions I have felt passionate about taking have appeared overwhelming and infeasible. I have had to bolster my courage, remain positive, imagine what is possible, and persevere.

Drew Dellinger’s hauntingly beautiful words, from Hieroglyphic Stairway, written ten years ago, challenge my sense of integrity. His words require me to be vigilant, mindful, and introspective as I consider my role in being part of the solution, not part of the problem.

 It’s 3:23 in the morning and I’m awake

because my great great grandchildren won’t let me sleep

my great great grandchildren ask me in dreams

what did you do while the planet was plundered?

what did you do when the earth was unraveling?

surely you did something when the seasons started failing?

as the mammals, reptiles, birds were all dying?

did you fill the streets with protest when democracy was stolen?

what did you do once you knew?

– Drew Dellinger

 Young climate activist Greta Thunberg, at 15, inspired the world with her impassioned rallying cry for why we must all wake up and fight to protect the living planet. Now at 20, she continues to be a voice for climate action. In her book, No One is Too Small to Make a Difference, she expresses how critical our immediate action is. “Avoiding climate breakdown will require cathedral thinking. We must lay the foundation while we may not know exactly how to build the ceiling. Sometimes we just simply have to find a way. The moment we decide to fulfill something, we can do anything. And I’m sure that the moment we start behaving as if we were in an emergency, we can avoid climate and ecological catastrophe.”

Joanna Macy, at 94, has helped people since 1978 to trust their raw experience and give voice to what they see and feel is happening to their world. In the face of overwhelming social and ecological crises, she has helped people transform despair and apathy into constructive collaborative action.

In From Age-ing to Sage-ing, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi writes, “Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy, author of World as Lover, World as Self, urges people to awaken the “ecological self”, the transpersonal mode of being that shifts our identity beyond the human family to include the non-human world. To transform the notion that our personal self is separate from the web of life requires us to broaden our sense of identity to include other animals, mountains, rivers, clouds, and minerals. This process which Macy calls the ‘greening of the self’ ends our separation from nature and creates the basis for effective environmental action.”

Reb Zalman also shares the story of Leon Shenandoah, a Native American spiritual elder, who once said in an address to the United Nations General Assembly, “Spiritual consciousness is the highest form of politics. Every human being has a sacred duty to protect the welfare of our Mother Earth.”  This existential truth brings my thoughts back to my integrity and Drew Dellinger’s words, “what did you do once you knew?”

From the time I first learned about Sage-ing, more than fifteen years ago, I have been drawn to the aspect of Sage-ing which focuses on the Emerging Elder…the Gifts we have to share…Elders as Healers of Family, Community, and our precious Planet Earth. As I continue my inner journey, and outwardly express my commitment to address climate change, I feel hopeful and inspired by these courageous climate advocates, who demonstrate by their example that we have the will to do this, and that the time is now.