A Word About HONESTY

It may be another "frog in the kettle" thing, but have you noticed how honesty has kind of gone out of style? And with it, trust and integrity and doing the right thing. Really - who do we trust any more? Not politicians, or lawyers, or the RCMP, or teachers, or clergy - ask kids today if they trust their parents and parents if they trust their kids... In fact, when I think about it, we live in a world of distrust and the sad thing is, we've come to take dishonesty for granted. I truly think that many teens today assume that everyone cheats and lies and steals, and it's no big deal. You only tell as much of the truth as you have to.

So, yes - the environment is in trouble, and yes, global warming is serious. Absolutely. And yes, we should not just be concerned - we should change our behavior: in a nutshell, we need to live within the natural limitations of the planet. But seriously, the environment is not our most serious problem. Maybe it's more of a symptom of the cumulative effect of humanity's lack of integrity.

Think about it. Who are we trying to kid? We NEVER get away with dishonesty - ever! Our lies will always catch up with us, eventually. Oh, we may get away with it for the time being - pass the exam, get the job, keep the relationship, protect our reputation. But even if no one knows - if we're never "found out" - we know that we're not "real" and of course, God knows.

Now - what's to be done? What about starting where we are. Right now - commit to honesty and integrity. Commit to being a person who says what he means and means what he says. Look at your watch and take the 24 hour challenge. For the next full day, commit to total honesty - no half truths, no white lies, no holding back on relevant but slightly awkward information, no exaggerations, no empty platitudes or unwarranted flattery - and obviously, no outright lies - and no avoiding difficult situations until the 24 hours is up. Oh, and no fudging on the time!