The ability to subordinate an impulse to a value is the essence of the proactive person.
The great apparent dichotomy is that the more we give, the more we get.
Happiness, like unhappiness, is a proactive choice.
Without trust, the best we can do is compromise.
As you live your values, your sense of identity, integrity, control, and inner-directedness will infuse you with both exhilaration and peace. You will define yourself from within, rather than by people's opinions or by comparisons to others.
The key to acting with integrity is to simply stop playing the game.