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Not too long ago I was talking with a friend and I caught that person in a fib. It was not a big deal but afterwards it did give me some pause and I thought about why they felt they needed to lie. On one level it was a bit disappointing because I had thought better of this person who was a dear friend but not always so keen to making the right decisions. While I immediately forgave the person for their actions it did make me think about the nature of living a good life. From these ponderings I still came up with the following guidelines.
- Telling the truth is always best. No matter what you believe it is always best to tell it like it is – to tell the truth. Sure there are situations where the truth has been stretched to save someone from having their feelings hurt but honesty goes a long way.
- Lies always catch up to you. I have learned lying always catches up with you whether it takes a day or a year. It is always a personal issue as to what one’s code of ethics are regarding fibs and lies. If your grandma made a dessert that tasted like tree bark I think it is okay to tell her it was delicious then discard it discreetly without grandma’s knowledge. However you may need to explain later why your tastes have changed if she serves you the same dessert again and again.
- The truth always comes out. Whether you are a religious person or not we all have our own rules to live by. I am hardly a preacher nor do I want to be but I can say every time I told someone I couldn’t have dinner or make a concert for one reason or another you can be sure the truth always came out.
- Lying can destroy relationships. I have seen first hand how lying can destroy relationships and diminish one’s spirit. Hurting another person intentionally is just not cool. Being honest without hurting another is a challenge but it is all in the delivery. If your mom bought you a gift you would never wear I would thank her but say I hope you do not mind if I use the receipt to exchange the gift. I would never want to insult you but I could use black rather than red.
- Telling the truth is always the most practical choice in life. Experience is a teacher in itself. Even if we lie now eventually we may see that lying is a difficult, destructive and time consuming activity and that it is still always better to simplify our lives by not lying and simply telling the truth. We all must learn from our mistakes. I try each day to be a better person. I feel as if we are on a grand journey. We learn as we go along much like parents learn how to parent on a daily basis. Hopefully we will see over time that living a life of honesty is still the best course of action.
Sometimes I believe think that the idea of karma and reincarnation are correct. For those who believe in reincarnation the journey of the spirit continues until you come back and begin the process all over again until the circle is completed or the lesson is finally learned. Then we can go where ever we are meant to be in spirit and be free to fulfill our purpose in the after life. Ok I probably have read too many books where the after life is a sense of glorified perfection or too many fiction books where it is the greatest existence to be an immortal. When it is my turn I’ll find a way to let you know how things go when I get there.
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