Honesty!

Honesty means being trustworthy, loyal, fair and sincere along with an absence of lying.

Honesty includes integrity and helps form your reputation.

It's the absence of lying that causes an itch I can't scratch.

Is it generally acceptable to tell small lies, white lies or exaggerate? - Which I would say is a form of a lie.

If the answer is "No" there are a lot of dishonest people out there.

I sense this is why your integrity score can't rise after it has fallen...if integrity is part of the makeup of honesty.

What a mess, I know people who have told small lies. I have too.

Do I suck?

Maybe, only I will know when I get where I am going in the end. As far as I know, no one else has direct feedback from whatever happens after life as we know it ends. So let's imagine for a minute what the conversation with your maker might sound like.

Chris! (Booming voice throughout)

Yes. (timid throughout)

Did you really tell Mom and Dad you were at Pete’s house that night when you were at Amy’s?

Yes.

That's a lie!

Right, I was a teenager.

Hmmm, so what!

How about the time you bragged about how much money you made in the stock market?

Dude, I referenced specific stocks.

The winners?

Yes.

That's a total return lie!

Sorry, I didn't think that I had to point that out.

You should have had a good performance reporting system and the needed compliance!

Yo, isn't compliance used for protection from, or covering up, what might be lies?

I'm asking the questions here!

?????????

So, did you really tell your wife recently you were in a long line for a haircut, which you got, but exaggerated the time to eat a hot dog and a Trenta, Passion, Sweet, Iced Tea Lemonade at Starbucks?

Also,  did you then go out of your way to enjoy the 65 degree December weather here in the northeast?

I did.

And you have done this before?

Yes, every time I get a haircut or a hot dog I go to Starbucks. Even if it's really hot or cold, it's all inter-changeable. I want to be a barista who cuts hair and sells hot dogs.

That's a lie!

Yup.

Think about how you communicate while you're living because you just might have to own up to it when you aren't!

My Best,