If there is one thing in this world that I cannot tolerate it is being around a person who blatantly lies. I can forgive a lot of things but I struggle to forgive when someone tells bald face lies. I recently sat listening to a person spew lie after lie without any shame whatsoever. This person actually seemed to take pleasure in twisting the truth and blatantly lying…in fact, they seemed proud of themself as they did it. Watching it happen, I couldn’t help but notice the darkness that fills a person’s countenance when they intentionally lie to others for their own personal gain.

The other thing I cannot tolerate that goes hand in hand with someone who lies is someone who professes publicly to believe in and uphold certain values, but then who lives their everyday life totally contrary to those values they professed to believe in. To me that is the exact OPPOSITE of living with integrity.

I suppose part of my strong feelings on this matter stem from being raised by a father who was FBI and who dedicated his life to defending truth and honesty and living with absolute integrity. He raised us to know that nothing was more important. He taught us that no amount of money or fame or power or title would ever live up to the import of being honest and living with integrity. That is how I was raised and I grew to believe it 100%.

All of us make mistakes at different times in our lives but the mark of someone with integrity is that they admit their mistakes, fix their mistakes, and move past them. Those who are unwilling to act with integrity become visibly unhappy people and it reflects in their countenance. It’s a sad thing…

I have an absolute testimony of the importance of living our life with honesty and integrity first and foremost. I know that when our time on this earth comes to an end and we stand before God to be judged for our life, there is no amount of money or position that will matter in that moment – what will matter is whether we were honest in our dealings with others and whether we lived our life with integrity.

I don’t think I will ever understand why anyone would allow themselves to get sucked into lying and giving up their integrity for any sort of temporary gain….it is just so shortsighted and in the end it will prove to be the worst return on investment they will ever receive.

“Life’s Short – Live It Honestly.” -me

~Amy