Prompt: Write about a time doing the right thing came at a cost.
Alright, the prompt for today, July 2nd, 2026, is to write about a time doing the right thing came at a cost.
I’m having a hard time remembering a time when I acted with integrity—where I did the right thing even though it cost me something. I want to believe it’s happened before, but I can’t think of a specific example.
More than that, though, I think what I really want to believe is that people will act with integrity.
I find it difficult to go through my day trying to do the right thing and trying to teach students to do the right thing, only to step outside and see other people doing the opposite. In the context of teaching, it’s difficult to convince students that integrity has value when the people acting without it often seem to be getting ahead.
Getting ahead in our society might mean being bigger, stronger, faster, wealthier. It might mean having nicer things, getting there first, or getting people to do what you want because you’re louder or more demanding.
That’s a difficult hurdle to overcome.
The people who act with integrity are often unrecognized. It goes unnoticed because it doesn’t have much visible impact. It allows things to continue as they are. It isn’t disruptive in any meaningful way, so those actions rarely get seen.
I think that’s part of it. Integrity is one of those things that you have to be resolved within. And that’s difficult. That’s really, really hard.
I’m trying to think of an example that explains that further, but I don’t know.
I do think there’s an injustice attached to integrity.
What ultimately has to happen is that you need to be able to sleep at night. No matter how you behave—with integrity or without—you have to live with yourself.
I think that’s a hard thing to accept.
Are you okay with the way you behaved and the consequences that followed because of it?
I don’t know how other people think about their own actions, especially when they put someone else in an unfavourable position for their own gain. It feels prevalent in our society. In fact, it feels like it’s becoming even more prevalent.
Those who continue to act with integrity seem to be the ones who suffer.
But are they really suffering?
Or are they simply able to sleep better at night because they know they did the right thing? Are they at peace with the outcome because they acted according to their own morals and ethics?
I don’t know.
This is going to be a very interesting month if these prompts continue in this direction.
You can find this prompt and many more at Letters’ Lounge. I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment or share a link to your blog or audio journal, and I’ll be sure to have a look—or a listen.
Alright, folks. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
This transcript was lightly cleaned up with the help of AI to improve readability while preserving the original voice and intent of the recording.
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