A life of integrity

¹A life of integrity

A person expresses their best abilities at different stages of life. Expressing one’s abilities is a sign of greatness. We spend our entire life waiting for the right moment to showcase our best abilities. But that time never comes. It is better to start displaying our best abilities now. This expression takes time. A day has a time, and a situation has its own condition. In the past, you had certain abilities, and today you have the best abilities. For example, ten years ago, you had some strengths, and today, some of those abilities have improved. Over time, your abilities will continue to change. Therefore, the standard of showcasing your best abilities will also change.

We hear that lions swallow entire animals. I saw a lion chasing a sheep. The lion had been waiting for a year for a big buffalo. One day, out of frustration, it hunted down the sheep and acted like it had taken down a large animal.”

This is a motivational text emphasizing the importance of taking action and showcasing one’s best abilities without waiting for the “right” moment.

Famous philosopher and writer Robin Sharma was distributing apples among some people. He said, ‘Eat an apple.’ Some people ate their apple quickly, while others took more time. After half an hour, the mission ended, and Robin Sharma said, ‘What I wanted to tell you was that this apple represents your life’s last apple.’ Some people ate it fast, while others enjoyed it leisurely.

Every individual was unaware that this could be the last apple of their life. When they realized that this was their last apple, they cherished it and ate it slowly. This is what Robin Sharma wanted to convey through his exercise: ‘We spend our lives as if there is always more time left, but you never know when the end will come.’ Every apple in your life could be your last. Time slips away, and yet we don’t realize that this could be the final moment of our lives. Every final apple needs to be savored, but we often fail to appreciate it.”

The message is about living life fully and appreciating every moment as if it could be the last.

We don’t have to wait for a calendar day to start over; don’t wait for Monday. It’s not certain whether you will have another day in your life. Today is a gift for you from Allah. Use this day in the best possible way. Use it fully. Don’t let anything in life go to waste. This realization will change your thoughts, and you will feel different emotions.”

This text encourages living life to the fullest by making the most of the present moment without waiting for a future time.

Never be certain that the one who is here today will be alive tomorrow. It is only an assumption, not a certainty, that tomorrow will come. Today is the most precious day in the world because this day will never return. From today, ten years ago, you would have thought there was still a lot of time, but today that time has passed. It’s strange to think how our lives pass by so quickly. We celebrate each year of our lives passing, yet it means that our lives are actually diminishing. The wisdom is to rejoice in the shortness of life, not in the passage of time. As Hazrat Sheikh Saadi Shirazi says, ‘Tomorrow never comes, its name is only a delusion.’’

Go back a hundred years and think about it — our parents did not exist, their existence was a matter of the future. Similarly, a hundred years from now, we may not exist in this world either. Our names may not be mentioned after a hundred years. If we think that our existence is so significant, we are mistaken. I was once taught a valuable lesson: that with time, our lives speed up towards the end, yet we continue to think there is still plenty of time left. Life is like a bubble, delicate and fleeting. We have wasted a lot of our lives in vain pursuits. We need to realize that life is only worth living if it brings benefit and ease to others.”

Lession of Life²

Five feet below we will be, the day we no longer exist in this world, the day there will be no mention of us. So many skilled artists, so many so-called greats, who today no one knows, yet they were big names in their time. We too do not know our ancestors, we are unaware of our own history. We know the stories of yesterday, but those who were buried in graveyards a hundred years ago, we don’t even know their names today. Human beings are so insignificant: in the entire universe, there is one Earth, on this Earth there is one country, in that country one province, in that province one city, and in that city, there is one human being… This is their value — that they need six feet of land to be buried in. After that, dirt, dust… weeks, months, years, centuries pass. A time comes when it is said that they once existed. Then comes a time when no one even knows. How helpless is this! Before birth, there is a span of millions of years, then after death, who knows how many billions of years will pass. Then the human is born, and after that, they die. Then who knows how many thousands of years will pass until they are resurrected. In between is their brief life. In this brief life, there is childhood, in which we play games, in which there are paper boats, in which dolls are married, in which we get angry over small things, and in which small things make us happy. A single candy is a lot for us. Finally, we begin to study. Then we grow up, and along with that comes awareness in our life. As soon as awareness comes, conscious life begins. Before awareness, life is nothing; it is ignorance because awareness is absent. The first sign of awareness is that as soon as it arises, a person asks, ‘Why have I come into the world?’ This question has no relation to age, to the graying of hair, or to schooling. This question can arise at any time. No other creature in the world asks this question. Only the human being is the one creation in whose heart this question arises. A philosopher says, ‘Just think, before the creation of humans, the human being was in the mind of the Creator, and then they were created.’ Whoever understands that they are valuable, superior to other creatures, and the leader of other creatures, only they deserve to be called the “best of creation.” Awareness tells us that we are not ordinary beings. We are great humans. We have come for a great purpose. Merely being born and then dying is not life. When this truth dawned on Allama Iqbal, he said:

“Plants and minerals are bound by destiny, but a believer is bound only by the commands of Allah!”

Destiny is for plants; humans are the writers of destiny. In the system of this universe, Allah does not see whether we are poor, whose children we are, whether we are black or white, what caste or clan we belong to. He only looks at one thing: the one who knocks on the door, who makes an effort, who works hard, who sheds tears, who toils and sweats — for them, He sets things in motion. The laws are for humans. When someone remembers Allah sincerely, they shine. Then, through hard work, they become a diamond.”

Direction of Life

From our student days, we search for sources of motivation³. A person who finds motivation without any external sources is fortunate. Just as Allah grants some people greater intelligence, similarly, He gives others abundant motivation. Then their motivation spreads to the world. Some people are blessed with profound thoughts. Their thinking and ideas are so strong that, like Allama Iqbal, their thoughts continue to benefit the world. Similarly, the phrases and teachings of Hazrat Wasif Ali Wasif provide wisdom to society. Such people act as mental oxygen for the community. These are the individuals who have determined their direction in life early on.

In life⁴, when there is purpose, one moves forward and reaches somewhere. But there is also the tragedy that, for a period, we are dependent on the people around us. Everywhere, there are others guiding us. We cannot act according to our own will. These guiding figures include our parents and our close relatives. Initially, our parents admit us to the schools they believe have a good standard. In our lives, we don’t even choose our own clothes for a while. For a long time, we wear the clothes others provide us.

This happens because we lack awareness. The eye of awareness opens for us when we are no longer dependent. We start becoming free. Even in life, we don’t gain freedom all at once. We gradually become free. Then, if we are fortunate, a time comes when we are completely free. Some people, even in their older age, don’t achieve this freedom. When the eye of awareness begins to open, the first thing you should do is sit down and thoughtfully give your life a direction. The reason is that at that moment, we have the most energy. If we don’t use that energy to achieve what we can, we will end up with regret. Just as nature gives me a certain number of minutes, it gives the same number of minutes to everyone. The person who progresses or moves forward is the one who uses those minutes effectively.

The energy that you have—before you go to sleep at night, ask yourself this question: ‘Have I made the most of those minutes today?'”

Just as nature gives me a certain number of minutes, it gives the same number of minutes to everyone. The person who progresses or moves forward is the one who uses those minutes effectively. Before you go to sleep at night, ask yourself this question: ‘Have I made the most of those minutes today?’ You can’t bear sitting in the wrong vehicle for fifteen minutes or traveling in the wrong direction for ten minutes. If by chance you do travel in the wrong direction, you can always take another vehicle and reach your destination. But if you end up in the wrong place on the journey of life, can time come back? Is it possible to press a button and have time return? It’s impossible. No matter how old you are, when your direction is corrected, then everything falls into place.

Someone once asked Sheikh Saadi, ‘How old are you?’ He replied, ‘Four years.’ The person said, ‘But your hair has turned white!’ Saadi responded, ‘I gained awareness four years ago.’ When you gain awareness, even a life without direction finds its path. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that one day of life with direction is better than a hundred years of life without it. This phrase is similar to the saying that one day of a lion’s life is better than a hundred years of a jackal’s life. If you live a hundred years without direction, it’s far better to live just one day with purpose, passion, and a conviction that at least your heart is with you, your soul is with you, and your soul is fully engaged in your work. Once you’ve chosen your direction, quietly and steadfastly continue on that path. One day, you’ll raise your head and find that the world is walking alongside you. You’ll be surprised to see that you started alone, but the caravan has grown so large. If a truthful person walks alone, the world follows. But if a deceiver takes the world with him, one day everyone abandons him. He is left alone, with only his delusions as company.

Whether you are working a job, there’s no harm in it; running a business, no harm in it; studying, no harm in it but for Allah sake, ensure that all of these pursuits have the same direction. Let everything come together and flow into one river. Don’t let your life’s streams flow in different directions, leaving the river of your life to run dry.”

⁵Self-Identity

When a question is serious, it leads to action. But if the question is not serious, it doesn’t lead to any action. Self-awareness is one such serious question. If you keep this question in your heart and begin to reflect on it, then Allah gives the answer in the form of signs. No one in the world has recognized themselves all at once. A person was born, went to Europe to gain knowledge about business, but ended up studying law. Later, he became a leader, and the world came to know him as “Quaid-e-Azam.” Nature has made it necessary that this path can only be found through searching. It’s not possible to press a button and instantly recognize yourself. Effort is necessary. Allah has said that if you desire and make an effort, then you will find it. This is the difference between the Creator and the creation. The Creator says “Be,” and it happens. We think, we speak, we try, and then things happen.

Who am I? What am I? The answer to this question requires conscious effort. You have to bow down in prayer; sometimes, you have to run from place to place. Your true self emerges through various trials. At times, you may discover greed within you, like when you reach into yourself and pull out a snake, realizing how much greed you possess. Other times, when you reach inside yourself, you find a pearl, and you realize how much sincerity you have. When you offer tears in the court of Allah, they are accepted. Sometimes, you reach inside yourself and discover a lion, and you realize how brave you are. It turns out that by searching within yourself, you eventually find the real thing. If, during the journey of this question, you speak, it comes out of your mouth: “Who knows who I am?” When a person fully understands themselves, they finally realize neither I, nor anyone else, matters. In the journey, they cannot understand if they are Moses or Pharaoh. But as they approach the shore, they finally understand who they truly are. Then, with that name, they walk towards their destiny and leave the world with that identity.

Conclusion

Setting Priorities

Ninety-nine percent of people do not set their priorities, which is why they struggle to make decisions. People don’t know what is important or unimportant for their lives. Decision-making becomes very easy for the person who has set their priorities. It becomes simple to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when you are aware of your priorities. Living life, in itself, is not what’s important; living with priorities is what truly matters. Professor Ahmed Rafiq Akhtar says, “The most fortunate person in the world is the one who sets their priorities at the right time. There is no such thing as the ‘right time,’ but the moment you realize that you need to live according to your priorities, that’s the best time.”

During Ashoka’s reign, the region between Delhi, Multan, and Lahore was called Kalinga. To establish his kingdom, Ashoka killed ninety of his brothers. After committing these murders and becoming a superpower, a priest marked his forehead with a sacred tika. As soon as the tika was applied, he had a moment of realization: “What have I done? I killed my ninety brothers just to wear this mark on my forehead.” He wiped the tika off his forehead, dropped his sword, and spent the rest of his life in service. Typically, when a person feels humiliated, they wipe their forehead, as if erasing the mark of their own “Kalinga.”

Once someone sets the priorities of their life, they are no longer ordinary; they become someone who lives a better life. Setting priorities means understanding what, how much, and why something is important in your life. It’s possible that for someone, family may not seem important, but just for a moment, think about how important family truly is. It’s possible that for someone, health might not seem significant, but setting priorities reveals how essential health is. It’s possible that friends, love, and sincerity might not matter to someone, but those who define their priorities know that these things do hold value. You may have all the material possessions in your life, but if you don’t feel a connection with your Creator, it’s possible that you have fame but no peace.

The person who cannot enjoy a simple cup of tea, who cannot experience that moment, will not find peace. We eat the most expensive foods but don’t truly savour them. We rarely appreciate the innocence of our children. Many people have forgotten what it feels like to walk on wet grass because they’ve never taken the time to experience it. We’ve lost the awareness of how it feels when our feet touch wet grass. We forget the small joys of our childhood and end up living a life without priorities.

FaQs.

1. https://hbr.org/search?term=Integrity+in+Leadership ↩︎
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlKkFQQg9_Q ↩︎
3. https://www.hays.com.au/career-advice/upskilling/integrity-in-the-workplace ↩︎
4. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/beyond-school-walls/202304/the-integral-role-of-integrity ↩︎
5. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescommunicationscouncil/2022/03/24/how-to-practice-integrity-in-the-workplace-and-beyond/ ↩︎
6. https://www.verywellmind.com/integrity-versus-despair-2795738 ↩︎
7. https://www.mindtools.com/a4elmvl/ethical-leadership ↩︎
8. https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/integrity-in-leadership ↩︎
9. https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/integrity ↩︎