Honesty Is the Best Policy

Hey! I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack, lol - why do I feel like every post starts this way? I have got to get it together. Sorry I haven't been posting lately...no reason for my absence really other than being lazy and not really knowing what to say, rather where to start cause I always have plenty to say... LOL

Lately, I've come across people or situations where the honesty and integrity of people have been called into question. You'd think since everybody was taught to 'tell the truth' that being dishonest was a non-factor but it just doesn't work like that. I know first hand because I used to do it (lie) and be good at it too. (Not something I'm proud of)   I know people have their reasons for being dishonest and withholding the truth, shoot I had mine, (non that made it okay, might I point out) but can I relate to the thought process, in SOME cases anyway...  For me, many times I didnt want to tell the truth or how I truly felt about something because I didnt want to hurt someones feelings, I was afraid of how they would react, I wanted to hide something I had no business doing, or I embellished to make my life seem like it was more 'exciting' than it really was (that was back in high school/early college days) but either way it wasn't right. 

In my adult life, I've truly come to learn the importance, value, and benefit of being totally honest and have really gained a respect and appreciation for it.  I've also had to accept that not everyone is not there yet  because it takes a certain level of maturity to be honest (regardless of what the situation entails) and not everyone can do that. To be totally honest with someone means you have to be totally honest with yourself first and for a lot of us that's the hard part. Accepting and realizing things about ourselves, coming to terms with it and having to share it with others <-----not always an easy task. I read this quote and was reminded again today why we all should strive to be honest...period.

Building upon a lie, no matter how comfortable you have become living with it or how concrete it may seem, will never bring you any closer to the truth and only expands and deepens the wound...

You know the old saying, "the truth shall set/make you free..." its true... Although being honest is not always 'easy' per se its the most liberating thing you can do for yourself and for someone else. Once you put it out there, its there and the other people can make their own decision based on the facts given. When people lie, or are dishonest, or not telling the whole-truth, whatever you wanna call it (its all the same), it takes the option away from people and forces the liar to make a decision for them or for the person being lied to, to make a decision based on something other than, well, facts (true statements.) That's really unfair and its manipulative if you really think about it.  If you truly care about someone, and you're being considerate of their feelings, give them the truth, they deserve at least that much. Do you realize how much MORE their feelings would be hurt to initially accept the lie that was given only later to find out you were intentionally dishonest with them - THAT'S not cool and will probably cause waaaaaaaaaaaay more pain that the truth would have. Don't put salt in the wound... Half the time people already know that you're lying when you do it, they are just giving you the opportunity to be honest with them.  *yeah...shocker, right?*

All in all, the best way to handle each and every situation (large and small) is to speak the truth, be open and be honest.  Even as painful as it can be sometimes, its liberating, its mature and its just the right thing to do and you'd want someone to give you the same courtesy. So keep the golden rule(s) in mind and know that Honesty really is the best policy and treat others as you would want to be treated....and maybe we'd have less people hurting each other in the world...


~Mo