How to Be a Man of Integrity

Sadly, I know too many women who have just about given up meeting a man of integrity. Too often, they are faced with users, takers, deceivers, manipulators or just goof balls who slouch through life with their baseball caps turned around and their pants halfway off their butts. That's okay when you're 16, but give it up by the time you hit your 21st birthday. I think the problem is that too many males these days do not know how to be men. From my experience (been a man for 57 years), here is what it takes to be a man of integrity.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• The guts to want to be a man of integrity
• Self-discipline

1. Be steady. That is perhaps the highest compliment a real man can receive: being called steady. Not flashy. Not dangerous. Not cool. Steady!
   
   Be the kind of man who provides for those who depend on him--coming home every night, working hard, being a good father, not changing your mind every time the wind of public opinion changes.
2. Be reliable. If you say you are going to do something do it, even if no one is watching. Real men have principles that they honor.
3. Be a man of integrity. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Make your word sacred.
4. Be honest. Don't play games, cut corners or manipulate the truth. Speak the truth and have the guts the stand behind your own words. Be a person others can trust.
5. Be strong. Our strength is one of our greatest traits. That does not mean being a tough guy, but it does mean sucking it up -- both the physical and emotional pain -- when the people who count on you are counting on you.
   
   Forget whining and complaining. Even when you get screwed over royally, be strong. People will learn to count on you if you are a man of strength.
6. Be a man of principle. When you speak, know why you believe what you are saying. Just as important, act according to your set of principles.
7. Respect yourself. Walk, dress and conduct yourself with self-respect, like you know you are worth something. If you want to be cool, don't think that has anything to do with your clothes or your strut. It has to do with your reliability and your strength.
8. Respect others. Belittling, manipulating and bullying others is a sign of weakness. A man of integrity treats others -- especially women --with respect. If she is a pain in the neck (or other bodily part), move on and find someone who appreciates a man of integrity.
9. Recognize that you are an example, a role model. Be a positive one. You can make a tremendous difference in the lives of those who count on you.

Tips & Warnings

• Women aren't sport. They want to be part of your adventure as a man, but they do not want to actually BE your adventure.
• Check out John Eldredge's book, "Wild at Heart," for more on the best attributes of men.
• Being a man of integrity has nothing to do with whether or not you show emotion or shed a tear at that soppy part in a chic movie. Some men like to keep their feelings to themselves. Others are okay with expressing them. That's your call, and it has nothing to do with your manliness.