Integration - Being Whole Within Yourself

I was asked several years ago by a former coach, "Who are you?" and my reply was, "Well, it depends on what hat I'm wearing." You might imagine the perplexed look I received. At the time, I thought it was a perfectly acceptable answer, yet, with growth comes clarity. I now know that I am me, no matter what I am doing, who I am engaging with, or where I am, and this has brought great ease to my life.

I now know that I am me, no matter what I am doing, who I am engaging with, or where I am...

It's Still You Under That Hat

Based on my observations, successful people all possess a willingness to be themselves in any circumstance and at whatever cost. Whether you're wearing your CEO hat, your Mom/Dad hat, or your friend hat, are you being all of you all the time? Can you imagine what that feels like? Ingrid Clayton, Ph.D – Psychology Today, has this to say about the feeling of integration:

"I believe it is all a direct result of connecting to who I am. All of me. It is as if I'm watching the pieces of me, the old and the new, shift and mold into a pattern I can only describe as whole."

- Ingrid Clayton, Ph.D – Psychology Today

How refreshing is that? To show up in a way that doesn't waver because you know who you are. I've witnessed this in my clients, and I've seen the benefit of being integrated and how this promotes trust, consistency, and reliability. I've also witnessed clients who suffer a cost in their business because they're trying to be what the client wants them to be, rather than being true to themselves and knowing the value they offer.

Integration in Business

Integration is not a new concept in business. Integrating systems provides a holistic view of your customers, your data, and organizational health, creating a better customer experience and improving internal workflow. If integration can do all of that for your business, what can it do within your body and mind? Can integrating all aspects of you make you a better leader, a better listener, and a better person?

In a recent article on Indeed, it is stated that, "The key is to make sure that your work and personal lives are not at odds and can therefore blend into one entity." - Work-Life Integration: Definition and Steps to Manage It.

Gone are the days of 9-to-5 work schedules. People are working everywhere and are more engaged, at all times and days of the week. Integrating your personal and business lives provides an opportunity for you to show up as someone who is unmistakably genuine. Integrating yourself and your business makes you whole because both are you! The work you, the home you, and the you you show to the world all combine to make you the unique human you are!

Take Time to Reflect

This week, ask yourself:

• Did my actions/words come from a part of me or all of me?
• Where did I say too much or not enough, because of fear?
• How can I incorporate all myself in a powerful and unique way that truly serves others?
• Where am I out of alignment with myself due to mismatched intentions/actions?

Integration - Uniting all mental traits into personality. Complete integration is the ideal of personality.

- Psychology Discussion.Net - Garima Pancha