"I'm getting the impression that integrity is a lot more difficult to achieve than I thought."

"Everything is difficult until it becomes easy," the sage replied. "It takes courage and openness to achieve authenticity - to be able to say to yourself and to the world, 'Like it or not, this is who I am,' and then to live that truth. But once you accept your humanity, integrity is not difficult at all. It's not about being perfect or infallible; we've all made mistakes. We can only do our best and learn from our mistakes, so we can do better next time. Alignment with the Law of Integrity means acknowledging our weaknesses and drawing on our inner strengths, so we become examples who light the way for others."

"Maybe that's what Mahatma Gandhi meant when he said, 'My life is my teaching."'

"Yes:' she responded. "Children have never been very good at listening to their parents, but they never fail to imitate them."

"I don't think you're just talking about children."

"Indeed not:' the sage replied. "We all influence one another by our example, and we all learn by imitation, whether or not we are conscious of it. We touch others not so much by what we say, but by how we live.

"I once walked down an isolated stretch of road with a woman who called herself Peace Pilgrim:' the sage continued. "She traveled on faith, walking until offered shelter and fasting until given food, reminding us, 'Live according to your highest light and more light will be giver.' this summarizes the essence of integrity, Traveler, and this you are called upon to practice."