Honesty

During the confession of sin in the book of common prayer,  we say that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. Sin isn’t always an overt action, we sometimes think and say things that aren’t always good or right, and for that we need to ask for forgiveness. One of the ashtangs, or eight limbs of yoga, is satya-truthfulness. It’s not just telling the truth, but living honestly. Its having a code of ethics and living by it. For many, this is the most difficult limb to live by.

It might be my religious background, or it just might be my personal code of conduct, but I try to live a honest life. That means, from the time I get up in the morning to the time I go to bed at night, I make truthful and honest choices. When I am at work, I work. I don’t conduct personal business. I don’t waste time, borrow supplies or anything else like that.

If I say I am going to do something, I do it. I don’t make commitments that I have no intention of following through on. People know that if I am going to do something, then they should consider it done. This is so important as a parent. There is nothing worse than moms or dads who promise their kids things and have zero intention of following through.  That being said, there are instances when a commitment was made and then a circumstance arose and I could no longer honor it, I have been open and up-front about it.  Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

One thing I can’t stand is when someone lies to me. It’s not that they lied, it’s the fact that I wasn’t worth the truth in the first place.  That is more painful than the actual lie. If you think that little of me, then you shouldn’t be in my life in the first place.

One of my favorite movies is the Invention of Lying with Ricky Gervais. It’s a funny look at a world where no one lies, and one day, his character suddenly does. Comic mischief ensues, and there is a soppy, moral ending slapped on, but the premise really fascinated me.