Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.
W. Clement Stone
1902 – 2002
I’m constantly amazed by the power of the internet. Like most people my age, I had lost contact with all my high school classmates. But the internet has allowed us to reconnect. Many of my former classmates are now regular readers of ‘Lessons in Life’. One emailed me a few years ago with a story that really stuck with me. I thought today was a good day to share her experience with you.
She and her husband were out shopping for a new TV and they decided to stop and get a quick dinner…
We stopped at our favorite Chinese restaurant to eat buffet style; they have a little bit of everything Chinese and American. It was ‘All you can eat’ for $9.98. When we got our bill, it was for only $9.98. My husband looked at it and asked me, “Do you want to do the right thing, or do you want to cheat?” I asked him, “What are you talking about, because I never cheat!” Then he showed me the bill. I asked him, “What do you think?” I knew his decision would be just like mine. It would have been so easy to walk out and pay the $9.98, but he called our server over and pointed out the mistake. She thanked us and changed the bill to the correct amount.
This normally would have been the end of the story, but not with me involved. There was a lady at the next table, with her four children, ages about 8 to 12. She came over and sat down beside me and said “Thank you!”
I asked her, “For what?” She said her 10 year old daughter had said to her, “Mom, did you hear that? I wonder what they’ll do?” She told her children that if we didn’t do the right thing, Karma would come and bite us in the butt. So she thanked us for setting a good example for her children.
I told the children to “Always do the right thing and you will be able to sleep good at night.” It was a great teaching lesson and we both felt so much better for having done the right thing.
Any time you’re faced with a dilemma, there are three questions you should ask yourself. They will always lead to the right answer.
- If the situation were posted on a billboard in the middle of town, would I be embarrassed to have my friends and family see how I had acted?
- Will I be able to look in the mirror in the morning and be happy with the person looking back at me?
- If the tables were turned, how would I feel about things?
Always do the right thing — it does wonders for your sleep.
Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
1803 – 1882
Copyright © 2024 by John Chancellor
As always , a wonderful read. Millie Jones
Thank you John for another lovely and powerful lesson. All credit to your friends. It is interesting how many people would soon complain if the bill was not in their favour, but how many would show as much integrity as your friends?
Three very powerful questions to end with. It reminds me of Stephen Covey’s quote: ‘Never say anything about someone that you wouldn’t say if they were in the room’.
Millie, thanks for your comment. In case you were wondering, Maxine sent me email.
Rosie, thanks so much for your comments. You are certainly correct, we are quick to complain when a mistake is made against us but slow to respond to errors in our favor. I love Stephen Covey’s works and that is a great quote.
John