Honesty
Honesty. A big ole H-word we all encounter on a daily basis. We've all heard the saying "honesty is the best policy" and I would agree that honesty really is the way to go. I have been a tell-it-how-it-is person pretty much all my life. I was one of those girls that got called mean because I would tell the truth when asked (and probably sometimes when nobody wanted to hear it, too). Which brings us to another saying we've all heard, "the truth hurts." Heck ya it does, but that doesn't mean we should avoid telling the truth.
I am the worst liar I know. Someone I don't know could look at me and tell I'm lying within five minutes of meeting me. Not only do I not like to lie, it is something I don't think I could ever be successful at. And if you ask me, that is a huge blessing.
I remember the one time I did lie successfully. Don't worry, it was a harmless lie. When I was a senior in high school I was having a hard time deciding whether or not to do a senior solo for our final chorus concert. I had been practicing a song that my teacher picked out for me for a few weeks when I finally decided that I did not want to do it. I went to tell my teacher and she looked at me and said something along the lines of, "Well Hailey, I already printed the programs and it says you're singing the solo, so you're singing the solo." So that was that, I was doing the solo. The lying part comes in here. I am so bad at lying, but I somehow convinced my mom that I wasn't going to be doing the solo after all. She kept saying, "Are you just messing with me?" I would assure her I really wasn't doing the solo because I didn't want to and I was going to mess up. And that part was true, I didn't want to do it and I was scared I was going to mess up. Then the night of the concert came she saw the program, I sang the song, she was shocked you get the idea. And just for the record, I did mess up. I sang a couple of the verses out of order.
But really there are absolutely no benefits to lying. I cannot think of a situation where I thought to myself, "maybe it would be better if I just lied about it." Of course there are situations where it would be easier or more convenient to lie, but that doesn't mean it would be better.
For example, I was at a job interview last week for a teaching job and the last question they asked me was, "Why this school? What about this school makes you want to work here?" And going into this interview I didn't research the school at all, I was just happy a school wanted to interview me even though I'm not certified yet. So I took a deep breath and said, "Honestly, I don't really know anything about this school. What I do know is that I am very thankful that y'all were willing to give me this opportunity to interview and that y'all could see me as a potential candidate even though I am not a certified teacher at this point in time."
In that situation, that is probably not the answer they wanted to hear. I'm sure they were looking for me to demonstrate that I had researched the school and did know about them. But I hadn't. So what would be the point of lying? That would not have benefitted me whatsoever.
I get that not all situations are as clear cut as that one. Sometimes the truth is messy. Sometimes the truth is the exact opposite of what you want to hear. Sometimes the truth is what you've known all along but could never admit to yourself.
In the relationships we have, whether it be your family, friends, or significant others, the truth is so valuable. Being dishonest can taint all other aspects of a relationship. People want you to tell them the truth. People want you to be honest with them. Sometimes being truthful can hurt others, especially if it is something they don't want to hear. But please tell the truth. Value your friends enough to tell them when their boyfriend or girlfriend sucks or when they're making stupid decisions. Care about your siblings enough to tell them that they need to do better in school. Love your boyfriend enough to tell him when something he does bothers you before he pushes you away unknowingly.
Obviously, I'm not saying be a jerk. But be honest. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with the people you care about. James Faust said, "Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving."
Honestly,
H
I am the worst liar I know. Someone I don't know could look at me and tell I'm lying within five minutes of meeting me. Not only do I not like to lie, it is something I don't think I could ever be successful at. And if you ask me, that is a huge blessing.
I remember the one time I did lie successfully. Don't worry, it was a harmless lie. When I was a senior in high school I was having a hard time deciding whether or not to do a senior solo for our final chorus concert. I had been practicing a song that my teacher picked out for me for a few weeks when I finally decided that I did not want to do it. I went to tell my teacher and she looked at me and said something along the lines of, "Well Hailey, I already printed the programs and it says you're singing the solo, so you're singing the solo." So that was that, I was doing the solo. The lying part comes in here. I am so bad at lying, but I somehow convinced my mom that I wasn't going to be doing the solo after all. She kept saying, "Are you just messing with me?" I would assure her I really wasn't doing the solo because I didn't want to and I was going to mess up. And that part was true, I didn't want to do it and I was scared I was going to mess up. Then the night of the concert came she saw the program, I sang the song, she was shocked you get the idea. And just for the record, I did mess up. I sang a couple of the verses out of order.
But really there are absolutely no benefits to lying. I cannot think of a situation where I thought to myself, "maybe it would be better if I just lied about it." Of course there are situations where it would be easier or more convenient to lie, but that doesn't mean it would be better.
For example, I was at a job interview last week for a teaching job and the last question they asked me was, "Why this school? What about this school makes you want to work here?" And going into this interview I didn't research the school at all, I was just happy a school wanted to interview me even though I'm not certified yet. So I took a deep breath and said, "Honestly, I don't really know anything about this school. What I do know is that I am very thankful that y'all were willing to give me this opportunity to interview and that y'all could see me as a potential candidate even though I am not a certified teacher at this point in time."
In that situation, that is probably not the answer they wanted to hear. I'm sure they were looking for me to demonstrate that I had researched the school and did know about them. But I hadn't. So what would be the point of lying? That would not have benefitted me whatsoever.
I get that not all situations are as clear cut as that one. Sometimes the truth is messy. Sometimes the truth is the exact opposite of what you want to hear. Sometimes the truth is what you've known all along but could never admit to yourself.
In the relationships we have, whether it be your family, friends, or significant others, the truth is so valuable. Being dishonest can taint all other aspects of a relationship. People want you to tell them the truth. People want you to be honest with them. Sometimes being truthful can hurt others, especially if it is something they don't want to hear. But please tell the truth. Value your friends enough to tell them when their boyfriend or girlfriend sucks or when they're making stupid decisions. Care about your siblings enough to tell them that they need to do better in school. Love your boyfriend enough to tell him when something he does bothers you before he pushes you away unknowingly.
Obviously, I'm not saying be a jerk. But be honest. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with the people you care about. James Faust said, "Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving."
Honestly,
H
Comments
Post a Comment