On 22nd October, Lance Armstrong has been stripped for his seven Tour de France titles and banned from the sport for life. I personally find his story inspiring especially his fight against cancer. With his doping scandal, will it change my opinion towards him? Probably not. As I will always see him as a cancer fighter.
I personally condone his action in doping. However, is he solely to be blamed for his action? I do not think so. We now live in an environment of hero worship. We all look up to someone who is an underdog and beat all odds to achieve fame and glory. We always look for someone can win and inspire us. In the current world of sports, achievements means a lot of money and rewards. As such, the temptation to cheat is as great as ever. Some may not necessary cheat but interpret the rules to their favor.
The same applies to the world of business. The reward of a successful product or increase sales is always an initiative to take short cuts or illegal activities. In business, these stakes are a lot higher. A good example is the melamine tainted baby food in China.
Whether as a sportsperson, a businessperson or an employee, possessing the quality of integrity is most important. Lance Armstrong may have gotten away for many years before he got caught for doping, now he faces a lifetime of shame. Many of us may feel that life is un-fair especially on people who got away cheating or doing things that is outright illegal. The temptation to get even is always strong. I feel that too.
To me, the way that I keep myself in check is by asking myself the following question.
"Whatever that I am going to do now, will I have the courage to explain it to my kids?"
If I answer "yes", I know that what I am doing is right. If I answer "no", chances are it is something that is not correct.
There could be other ways, but I want my kids to grow up right. I may not be able to predict the future but I know that living with integrity is timeless quality. My kids will always be my moral compass.
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