Truth be Told

Any way you cut it, when people distort the truth, they put their credibility at risk, while lowering their personal standards of honesty. Remember, BIG or small . . . a lie is a lie. Furthermore, a lie repeated many times doesn’t change the truth. Additionally, one or many believers don’t determine the truth or untruth. There’s no excuse for dishonesty. None. As someone once said, “The truth doesn’t cost anything, but a lie could cost you everything.”

Truth Be Told

The value of honesty cannot be overstated. Every time someone lies, alarm bells aren’t going to go off and that person’s nose isn’t going to get larger (like Pinocchio’s), but something definitely happens. The liar may suspect that the only reason the customer said, “yes” to his proposal, the only way she dodged the blame, and the only reason the recipient of the lie thought highly of him or her was due to the lie itself. The question remains: Even though they fooled someone else, how do liars feel about themselves? The obvious truth is that they thought they didn’t deserve the outcome or else they would have told the truth in the first place. They may explain away the lie by telling themselves that everybody does it or that the lie fell in a gray area. But I must ask you, is that any way to live your life?

When you stand for honesty, you believe in yourself and everything you represent. When you stand for honesty, everything you say carries the voice of credibility. But, when you’re dishonest, your soiled reputation will do the speaking for you.

There are several things you can do to demonstrate honesty:

• Think before you speak.
• Say what you mean and mean what you say.
• Bend over backward to communicate in an open and honest fashion.
• Simplify your statements so that everyone clearly understands your message.
• Tell it like it is, rather than sugarcoating it.
• Present both sides of each issue to engender objectivity.
• If you have a personal bias or a conflict of interest, make it known.
• Tell people the rationale behind your decisions so that your intent is understood.
• If something is misinterpreted, quickly correct the record.
• Don’t shoot the messenger when someone tells you the truth. Thank them for their honesty and treat the information provided as a gift.
• Willingly accept responsibility by admitting a mistake or an error in judgment — in a timely fashion.
• Hold people accountable when their words do not match their actions.
• Never compromise your integrity and reputation by associating yourself with people whose standards of integrity you mistrust.

The truth shouldn’t be told only when it’s convenient. Honesty must be a way of life. Honesty means that you care deeply about trust, cherish your relationships, and value the importance of a solid reputation. Honesty means that you try to do your best and are willing to accept the consequences of your actions. Honesty means that you respect others enough to tell them the truth and that you value your opinion of yourself enough to never live a lie. As the saying goes, “It’s simple. Never lie to someone who trusts you, and never trust someone who lies to you.” That’s why it’s critical to always tell the truth — or the truth will tell on you. Honest.