A friend and I were lamenting the state of our country last week. He said he wished he didn’t have to work with government so much because it makes him lose his integrity, but he does not have a choice because business is so bad and he needs his government accounts. I told him about a friend whose business is wastewater treatment. In the beginning he tried working with government and had to deal with all kinds of corruption. He finally told his partners he was not going to contribute to any kind of corruption anymore. They countered that they would never make money that way. He pointed out that they weren’t making money anyway. So they bit the bullet and went the brave way. It was a slow year and there was a time he really felt he had thrown his money away, but the business suddenly picked up. Today, big corporations come to him because they know his company is straight. His business has expanded considerably.
Another friend, the owner of a Petron gas station on Timog, won an award for being one of a handful of stations properly calibrating their machines. She said it took some time to find an accountant who respected her decision to run a clean business, but she patiently waited until the right person came along. And she did. Her clients come to her because they know she is honest. I go to her for the same reason. Her business is flourishing and she sleeps well at night. It does pay to be honest, even in business.
Oprah Winfrey recently interviewed actor Isaiah Washington. Before he became hot Dr. Burke in the television hit “Grey’s Anatomy”, he was mostly playing gangsters. After playing villain for years, he reached a turning point when his character in one movie was thrown off a roof. "I realized all the work I have done—30 films—this is the crème de la crème?" said Washington. "The metaphor of the imagery of being thrown off and representing hip-hop and all these things… And I just said, 'This is not the truth that I want to represent. And if this is the idea of success for me, then I need to step back and start reevaluating what I want to do.'" He shared that when he made that decision, the “Grey’s Anatomy” role came up. Not only does he have a hit television series on his resume, he is now a better role model for many African Americans. Washington believes that you need to make careful decisions about where you put your energy. When he decided to stop playing the bad guy, his opportunities changed for the better. The point is, he made the leap.
I believe that. It has happened to me many times. I know the fear of uncertainty. I sometimes find myself awake and frightened at night, anxious about my future, but I always put myself back to sleep knowing that a life supported by truth and integrity will always be properly guided. This does not come without discomfort, of course, and I think that is what most people are afraid of. You can choose to be straight but you also need to prepare yourself for lean times. Not many believe that the rewards will be greater but I have to say that my experiences have proven they are. It may not translate to material wealth, but it does mean entering a better personal space all together. It always means getting closer to your highest potential as a human being. It helps to remember that nothing worthwhile is ever easy.
I understand my friend’s fears. It seems simpler to go with the downward flow—to keep up the bribery and the dubious business practices. But I believe that if we choose to take that road, we should acknowledge (to ourselves at the very least) that we are contributing to the evils that plague our country. There is no question about it. When we choose corruption, we make it ever more impossible to change our country for the better. We can grumble about the corrupt government officials but for as long as we are giving in, we are just as guilty. That is the truth. If you persist in ignoring your conscience and looking the other way, at least be completely conscious of your actions and its repercussions, because the energy you put out there will come back to you on many levels. There is no “if” about it.
What stops us from doing the right thing is fear of the unknown; it is fear of having less and not trusting that better things await us. This is thanks to our growing materialism. If we do not have the right brands covering our behinds, we feel we do not matter. If we do not have the latest gadgets, we are just not with it. If we don’t show up on the society pages at least once a week, we are nobody. If our children are not in international schools, they won’t show up on society pages either. If we are not rolling in money and FAST, we have failed. Our narrow materialistic worldview convinces us that taking these morally-challenged shortcuts work. They will get things done. But we fail to measure the cost.
Don’t get me wrong, I like to be comfortable, but my comfort today is driven by a consciousness that extends beyond my superficial needs. I will spend for homeopathic remedies, biodegradable, non-toxic detergents and cleaning agents, but never for an IT bag (whatever the hell that means). I will buy organic and biodynamic when I can. These are the essential luxuries I allow my family and myself because the benefits penetrate deeply into our health and the health of the planet. These things I spend for.
Contrary to what people like to think, I know what it is like not to have enough. I also know what it is like to have a lot. I have to say that the only true difference is your perspective. What kind of person are you during lean times? Who are you in abundance? It is the true you that matters, rich or poor. Really, that is all we have. That is our greatest wealth. So, when we say we cannot do anything about the corruption in this country because we need to play along to survive, we turn our backs on our best and highest selves. The essence of who you are does not come from what you have. Government should not cause you to lose your integrity. Integrity is not negotiable.
It all goes back to what you think your life is about. It was relatively easy for me to figure this out because I am blessed with children. Children wake you up to spiritual truths and constantly remind you of the things that matter. If you think your life is merely about making money and living comfortably and then poof! you are gone, then I guess corruption can be just a stitch on your side. But if something deep inside tells you that your life is much more than that and you begin to recognize your role in humanity and the world, corruption cannot be just that. It becomes a moral struggle that you vow to win.
Anything that causes you to feed the darkness in yourself and in society must be courageously shunned. It is a matter of inner strength and clarity. It is a matter of remembering who you really are. That pureness and light you were born with was meant to shine out into the world to heal it. It is there. You only need to decide to turn it on and keep it aflame. You can choose to say no to corruption and live happily with the changes such a powerful decision will bring into your life. The life you live affects the rest of humanity. You know what’s right, now all you need to do is live it. Take the leap and never doubt that you have everything it takes to make our country whole again.
November 2006
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