🧭 INTEGRITY
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” – C.S. Lewis
Integrity is the compass you carry through the wild—quiet, steady, and always pointing toward who you truly are. For people with ADHD, who often feel pulled in many directions—by impulses, by emotions, by expectations—integrity is the through-line. It’s what keeps you connected to yourself when things get noisy.
Living with integrity doesn’t mean you never falter. It means you return to what matters. It’s the voice that says, “That wasn’t me. Let me make it right.” It’s choosing alignment over approval, truth over convenience. For ADHDers, this can be deeply empowering—because when the world questions our consistency, we can root ourselves in authenticity.
Integrity also protects against the performance masks we’re often taught to wear. It invites us to be the same person in different rooms. It says: “You don’t need to be perfect to be trustworthy. You just need to be real.”
This value helps repair self-trust. Every time we act in a way that reflects our deepest values—especially when it’s hard—we strengthen the bond with ourselves. And from that place, we can build relationships, make decisions, and walk the trail with a clearer sense of direction.
🧭 The HOPE Trail Map
- Helps or Harms: Is this action aligned with my core values—or am I trying to be someone I’m not?
- Own My Values: I want to be someone who stays true to myself, even when it’s inconvenient or unseen.
- People and Pursuits: Who respects my truth? What pursuits feel most honest, aligned, and undiluted?
- Enact and Evaluate: Today, I’ll make one choice that reflects my deeper self—not the mask, not the moment, but me.
⚠️ Trail Challenges
- People-pleasing or masking may create dissonance between appearance and truth.
- Emotional impulsivity can lead to actions that don’t reflect our values.
- Repeated “failures” may weaken self-trust, making it harder to stay aligned.
🪧 Trail Markers: Small Steps Toward Integrity
- Pause before saying “yes” and ask: “Is this actually what I want or believe?”
- Acknowledge one moment you went against your values—and how you might repair.
- Choose consistency over image—do what matters, not what impresses.
🔥 Campfire Questions for Reflection
- What values feel most central to who I am?
- When have I stood in my integrity, even when it cost me something?
- How can I rebuild self-trust after a moment I didn’t feel proud of?
Integrity doesn’t mean you always get it right. It means you know how to come back to yourself—again and again—with honesty and heart.
