YOU NEED TO KNOW…That It’s So Much Easier To Live The Truth
No doubt, you’ve at some point been given the admonishment that it’s easier to tell the truth because you don’t have to remember your lies. It really is solid logic, especially for those of us with selective memories. Doesn’t it also seem that people tend to get in more trouble for lying about something they’ve done wrong—attempting to be covering it up—than they do for actually doing the wrong thing in the first place?
Sure, it’s particularly obvious in cases like former President Clinton’s hazy recollection regarding his interpersonal relations, but how about the emails between fund managers laughing about sales of financial products they knew were destined for failure? It’s quite possible that examples like those of corporate falsehood and the accompanying aloofness played a substantial role in the populist uprising that led to major changes in Washington recently.
That leaves me wondering… if it’s easier to TELL the truth because we don’t have to remember our lies, and we recognize the severity of the consequences when we’re caught in a lie, what are the implications if we LIVE a lie? How about in our occupations, the pursuits in which most of us will spend the majority of our waking hours? Do you ever feel as though you’ve been pigeon-holed into a particular job because it works well for someone else, but not necessarily for you? Maybe you’re even encouraged to perform your duties in such a way that are in conflict with your values—or at least your instincts. Maybe it seems like it would just be too hard, financially or personally, to be true to yourself and do something for which you’re better suited.
Then follow the example of Keith McCullough, author of the book Diary of a Hedge Fund Manager. He found himself educated and skilled enough to excel at the highest levels in the hedge fund world. He was “making it big” financially and had all the opportunities to continue to ride that wave. But he knew it wasn’t who he was or what he was meant to be doing and took a 100% pay cut to walk away. He may not be making more money than he did as a hedge fund manager, but now Keith is enjoying the harmony of both telling AND living the truth… and that is something YOU NEED TO KNOW.