Ten tips for Being More Truthful
Barbara A. Lewis
Wife, Mother, Religious worker, National award-winning author and educator
The Ten Tips
1. Make a commitment to tell the truth.
2. Tell someone about your commitment.
Can you imagine yourself achieving a goal you always keep in mind? For example, i know i do, one goal i always keep in my mind is to achieve straight (A's). No C's. D's, or F's. They won't get you any where near as to passing the class. They also won't look good on your college resume application. Therefore, the things i do to achieve my straight (A's) is simply by staying committed to being focused. No distractions, no procrastination's . There the least of help honestly that's why i don't take my chances and instead focus on work, or school work. That is the number one priority that i have therefore, i should be doing well in school. Nonetheless, to say all my my family has gone to college and have receive great grades. Moreover, i do tell my family about my commitment's to going to college so that they can stay my hard work and dedication as to how eager I'm willing to go to college. That is why i strongly encourage everyone to set a goal, keep it in mind, try to strive for that goal and stay committed. I guarantee you above all that it will bring your chances to achieving that goal a lot closer.
Commitment is a great tip to keep in mind to help you always stay focus and achieve your dreams and goals. If your just decide , commit and succeed. The result will show just how dedicated and committed you were.
3. Think before you give a dishonest answer.
Lieing is never good so don't ever do it or think about doing it. The problem will only get worse and complicated. Try telling the truth. I promise that you'll suffer less consequences than you would lieing. Only because when you tell a lie people loose trust in you and question again if they should ever trust you. In addition, when your honest and tell the truth you'll gain people's trust. Therefore, i strongly encourage you to be honest. It will lead you towards the right way of doing good. An example, to be more clear would be if you cheated on exam from a partner and the teacher's questions how you did so well or if you copied? Your response should be the truth such as what you did in copying your partner to pass the test. An then next time try to study harder on your own without the help of other's. Otherwise you may also even get the other person i trouble . So above all be honest to everyone including yourself. Don't try to cheat yourself!
I will apply tip number three from the ten tips of advise that Barbara Lewis suggest by being honest to everyone including myself. Doing good and choosing what's right because in the end i know it'll all come down to me so i'd prefer to do what's right and gain people trust in me . Rather than to lie and have the stare of untrustworthy.
4. Be careful of when and how you use exaggeration, sarcasm, or irony.
Tip number four is a great tip that advice's one to be careful of when they say such things. For instance Barbara Lewis gives an example of exaggeration, sarcasm or irony. She advice's us to be aware of how we interpret these words in are context. Otherwise, one may deal with serious problems. With that being said use these words in a proper context and be wise on how you say them or who you say them to. For the reason being that you cannot act in such a way towards your boss, manager, doctor and so forth because it is not a proper manner. Also because you need to maintain boundaries and limit to a certain extend , not to far comfortable treating them the way you'd like.
I will apply tip number four by being aware of how i say things and to whom i say them to.
5. Be careful not to twist the truth or leave out part of it.
Make sure never to "sugar code' anything. It'll only make things complicated an make your situation more complicated than it already is. Therefore, you should speak the truth and be wise on how you say it . Because sometime's if one tells the truth but doesn't say the whole truth it could lead to someone becoming suspicious about them or can also lead to the though of trust. That is why if one must tell the truth without leaving any information out.
In addition, telling the truth will help you stay relieved because in the end their bound to find out so might as well just come out with the truth and just say it. However be gentle , you may not know how people may take it.
I will apply tip number five by speaking the truth and not leaving any sort of information out. That goes to everyone. I will also apply this tip into my daily life by honest to people even if that mean it'll hurt them . However, i will be gentle into doing so because one may never know what can go wrong.
6. Don't indulge in little white lies.
Be careful in what you say and make sure that what you say is true . Don't ever fall in white lie's no matter the circumstances. It won't help you get rid of a situation. Nor will it help avoid the situation which is why you must come-front it and tell the truth otherwise you will be known as a liar and no one would ever believe you again. People will also talk about your white lies and share them with other's which will cause your reputation to be ruined. Also, an example of how not to indulge in a white lie would be if a group of kids were cheating in an exam and had the exact same answers. The teacher will call them up to see if they were cheating or if they'll deny that they weren't cheating. Which one would you choose. Or much rather which one should you choose? Denying or telling the truth? In this case tip number six is telling you not to indulge in little white lies therefore, you will choose to admit in telling the truth.
7. Watch out for silent lie's.
Do you ever know or not know when someone's lying to you, because i know i do. I can tell by a person behavior. The way the move there body in such a way, or how they pause to much to think. I however don't say much i just watch and observe how far they'll take the lie into a much bigger lie. Although i do question what they sometimes to see if they'll continue lying or tell the truth. Then if they do tell the truth i'll smile with the thought of them doing what's right. On the other hand, if do not stop lying i will give them a much more frank and serious look of unpleasantly. Although over all above all i believe little white lies are no good and there surely not nice so why do it i say? Do something good that you mean to say other wise don't say anything at all . Now without being said i suggest for everyone to stop with the little white lies that will do you no good.
I will apply tip number three by being aware of those who surround me with white lies and keep myself away from them and the white lie's. Since they will certainly do no one no good.
8. When you catch yourself lying, throw your mouth into reverse.
"If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people." This is a well written quote from Virginia Woolf because it's states a true fact. Which is if your not honest with your own self about the things you do or achieve then when are you honest? You must certainly not be honest or sincere with other people because you not honest within your own self. So what will make people believe you? Therefore, trying getting used to the habit of being true to yourself first and then to other's. Other wise follow tip number 8 ,"When you catch yourself lying, throw your mouth into reverse. Meaning stop and react and change what you about to say into something more sincere you actually going to say or should say. Do not fool your self for being someone your not , be honest and have integrity to doing what's right because that's the best thing to do.
I will apply tip number 8 by staying true to myself and by being honest not only to my own self but to other's as well because is the right and correct thing to do.
9. Talk to yourself.
Tip number nine helps you stay truthful to yourself. Meaning it allows you to think to if you're doing a good job, or choosing the right 24/7. Therefore, ask yourself and take sometime to think about that. Are you or are you not choosing the right or cheating yourself. For example, if you didn't do you homework and the teacher asks you,"where is your homework?" You can either choose to lie and say i did do it but it's not with me or i didn't do it that's why it's not with me. Either or the decision is all your's. All you have to do is talk to yourself about what you think you should do. So, i strongly encourage everyone to talk to themselves as a way think wisely about their decision. I guarantee it will help you make a wiser decision.
I will apply tip number nine by addressing my decision first in the way of using tip number nine by talking to myself to see if the decision im making is best or not. Also to see what consequence's will occur if i choose the wrong. However, i will use this tip for it's best interest which is to make a wise decision.
10. Treat yourself when you tell the truth.
It is important to recognize when your being most truthful and sincere because it allows you to recognize if you are choosing the right and doing the right based on your actions. Therefore, i will strongly encourage that when you do recognize this sort of action you confront and say your self that you've done very well into choosing the right. Also maybe give yourself a tap in the back for a good work ethic. Or perhaps treat yourself with a good treat say maybe an ice cream or other candy because believe it or not when you treat yourself you feel much better and much more confident that you'll continue with the progress of developing the truth naturally. I guarantee it therefore choose the right and pass it on. Tell other's to good so that they can also in return feel better about themselves and develop their speaking the truth skills to furthermore, be able to treat themselves the way they would like.
I will apply tip number ten by being most truthful in such way to make me feel better for myself. To furthermore feel like iv'e done well through out my experience in choosing the right. So that i can later on spoil myself in return for doing such a good job in choosing the right.
Reflection:
Throughout the ten tips of being more truthful i have developed a variety of techniques of how to be truthful to other but also how to be most truthful and sincere to myself. Therefore i can reflect and all of my actions and see how i can choose the by most most honest. Over all i also learned many strategies and examples of how i can apply each tip to my daily routine habit. So that i can further on develop all these tips and techniques alone. However one tip that i would say stuck to me most would be tip number nine. TALK TO YOURSELF. I believe this tip is very useful in the sense of it making you think and reflect if the choice you have made is right and appropriate. In addition, i will apply all these tips in my life planning goals. By be wise on my decisions and thinking if it's right or best for me to do so.