A client of mine went through with the very uncomfortable act of getting an STD check. Nobody likes doing that do they?

He didn't have any symptoms or anything, but he had started seeing a new girl and he wanted to get a check, both out of respect to her and because it was an act of courage for himself.

Even the doctor running the check was surprised that he had come in just to respect somebody else, because apparently nobody does that! They only come in when they have painful symptoms.

As he feared, they found he had a little something something - it was minor but he chose to tell his new partner about it, which was another act of courage.

She was very tolerant and accepting of it, willing to work with it or around it, and now he's in that wonderful place where he's got a free clean slate. He has nothing hanging over him. No worries. No concerns about secrets coming out.

This is what living with integrity is all about.

He made big uncomfortable moves up front in exchange for freedom and safety in the back end. With this single act he: caught a potential health issue, built trust with his new partner, confirmed that she’s probably a good fit for him, increased his baseline courage, and practiced honesty.

Worth the discomfort? You decide.

‍