Say What You Mean and Do What You Say
Integrity. The world needs more of it. I need more of it. We all need more of it.
Have you ever met someone so solid, dependable, kind, thoughtful, and genuinely encouraging that without even knowing them for more than a few minutes you know; they say what they mean, and will do what they say?
That’s a person of integrity. The person they project themselves to be, the person you meet, is exactly who they are. There’s no nuance, no need to fish for understanding, no confusion on their part or your part, no adjusting to their unspoken expectations, and you feel wholeheartedly free in their presence.
Michael and I were recently talking about people we look up to, and what makes them stand out above the rest. A lot of it boiled down to their hard work ethic and uncanny ability to say what they mean and do what they say. Many of us have good intentions, and with that, can over commit. I’m learning quickly, as a mother of three (soon to be four), that kindness is saying no, setting boundaries, and being honest about where I stand in all things.
With a new year comes reflections and resolutions. I love that we get this mental reset every 365 days. I love that people are continually looking for ways to be a better person, whatever that means. I also love the luxury of getting away with my thoughts.
It’s taken me a good eight days into the new year to decide whether it is worth setting a resolution this year. 2025 was good and it was also hard. There was so much uncertainty swirling around in our lives and without that groundedness it became hard to think too deeply about a new track forward.
Yet as I sit down to reflect, I cannot shake the wisdom that my family has passed down through generations of hard-working farmers and entrepreneurs: To say what you mean and do what you say. I think that’s a good metric of integrity. A good way to live. In many ways, integrity is a spiritual discipline. It requires a greater understanding of capacity and the ability to align the heart and will with the mind.
My heart is both excited and wondering what next year holds. I’m hopeful that we’ll remember it as a year when the fruit of integrity grew deeper roots in my life through the words written in the Bible. A year of simple, small, and intentional steps to know more of what it means to abide with Christ right where I am as I say what I mean and do what I say. Even when, especially when, I don’t want to.
What are you hoping for in 2026?