Liar Liar - Reprise

"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." - Mark Twain
Today I'm going to continue with the subject of Truth and Honesty. And before any of you start to moan, "Again?", just remember this; if you don't want to be lectured about it, then stop giving me something to lecture about.
To me it seems like a simple thing to do, to just be honest, but if you look around it would seem as though telling the truth is almost as difficult as performing brain surgery.
But it's not brain surgery. It's just telling the truth.
The other day I spoke about the importance of telling the truth and being honest in all areas of your life. I reminded you that this is not some new and exciting weapon in the pursuit of success. Truth and honesty are Common-Sense qualities that most of us were taught in Kindergarten. But unlike our ABC's and why we shouldn't run with scissors, this one just didn't stick.
So why do we lie?
Because it's easy. It's easy to lie about something and avoid confrontation, responsibility and accountability. It's much more favorable to take the path of least resistance. It's quicker and less painful. Rather than taking responsibility for our actions, we justify our actions with a nice little piece of fiction and then sweep the issue under a rug.
Problem solved.
Or is it?
How many times have you ever had to come face to face with an ugly little lie from your past? How many times have you sabotaged your future by lying in the present? How many times have you just, plain ol', got busted in a lie?
If you're like most, including me, you've experienced one if not all of these scenarios.
And yet we keep doing it.
Just like children, we don't want mom and dad angry with us. We want the quick and easy way out of our situation and we're willing to risk anything and everything for it.
Do I really need to remind you of how much is at stake when you lie?
Here is a short list of the things you are sabotaging by lying:
1) Your reputation
2) Your integrity
3) Your ability to earn others trust
4) Your peace of mind
5) Your relationships
6) Your career
7) Your future
8) Your pride
So I ask you, is it worth it?
Now many of you will turn this around and say, "But couldn't it be said that I can risk all of those things by telling the truth?"
To which I would say, no. You don't sabotage your integrity by telling the truth. In fact you actually strengthen it.
You don't sabotage your ability for others to trust you by telling the truth. You actually reinforce it.
As for peace of mind; when your head hits the pillow at night you can rest assured that you do not have to juggle the details of an elaborate lie over and over again.
So now let's just simplify it: Lying is bad. Truth and honesty are good.
That's it. It's not complicated. Complicated is for calculus and politicians. Success, Self Improvement and Personal Development are based on common sense, hard work and the simple truths that we've known all along. My job is to remind you of those simple truths and keep you going in the right direction so when the time comes and you are faced with the temptation to lie, for example, you will remember that honesty is the best policy.
It's as simple as that.