Rule #15

Imagine how much less stress you would have in your life if you were always honest. Rule #15 is BE HONEST. Now I believe most people are honest most of the time. It seems to me that dishonesty is at its core, fear. Fear of punishment, fear of what other people will think, fear of hurting someone else's feelings, fear of consequences. In fact, many times our dishonesty is based in good intentions. Few people would say it is better to hurt someone's feelings than to tell them a white lie about how they look or whatever. The problem I struggle with is who determines which lies are white? When do they turn gray? I revert back to Rule #4...do the right thing. I believe we all know, deep down.

I have thought about this long and hard and I've come to the conclusion that honesty is the best policy. I am not comfortable determining a white lie from anything else. When Aunt Martha asks me how I like her new hat, that I find hideous, I may be tempted to tell a little white lie. But what if Aunt Martha was looking for an honest opinion? What if she was depending on me and my fashion sense? I've come to the conclusion that it is best for me to look for something I find likable. I may say something like "I like the way it brings out the blue in your eyes". If Aunt Martha presses further, I will tell the truth in as kind a manner as possible. My husband once told my grandmother that he loved her pork chops when in fact he found them dry....from that moment on, every time we visited my grandmother, she made my husband pork chops. :-)

Now for the bigger things.... It is always better to face your fears and to be honest. Lets look at it from a selfish perspective. You don't have to keep track of what you told to whom, you have no stress of your dishonesty being discovered, your integrity is in tact, your conscience is clear, you will sleep better, people will find you trustworthy, you will be in a better mood and people will respond to you in a more positive way. So the truth is, it is to YOUR benefit to be honest. Honesty truly is the best policy.


Rule #1 - I AM RESPONSIBLE
Rule #2 - ALWAYS BE KIND
Rule #3 - DON'T HOLD A GRUDGE
Rule #4 - DO THE RIGHT THING
Rule #5 - SMILE
Rule #6 - BE GOOD TO YOURSELF
Rule #7 - SAY I LOVE YOU
Rule #8 - BE POSITIVE
Rule #9 - LAUGH
Rule #10 - DON'T JUDGE
Rule #11 - SET GOALS
Rule #12 - SING AND DANCE
Rule #13 - MEDITATE
Rule #14 - BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
Rule #15 - BE HONEST