How Valuable Is Your Word?
“That really is a man who keeps his word.”
You don’t really hear many people say that anymore, do you? The truth is that men and women who keep their word are very rare. Have you stopped to consider how much your word is really worth?
Many people believe that in order to survive in this competitive world, it is necessary to lie, tell half-truths, break contracts and leave people in the lurch. You do not pay much attention to keeping your word, and ever since excuses became popular, everyone has had the chance to look good.
But those who reason in this way have a rather limited mindset. In the long run , these habits give you a reputation as irresponsible, insensitive and deceptive. The truth is that this will not help you in any area of life, whether it is professional, social or family related.
There is nothing that gives a person more dignity than honesty.
Many broken promises come from situations where you are pressured to say “yes”. The first step towards honesty is to learn to say “no”. How can that be? You may find it embarrassing to say “I do not understand”, “I do not know much about this topic”, “I do not think I can finish it so soon” or “I will not manage that schedule or the amount ”.
But even if this is not really what your boss, customer or employee wants to hear, he or she will no doubt appreciate this more than if you say “yes, of course”, and then fail.
If you keep your word, they will also get a positive image of you. Many people and companies are willing to provide training or even provide a better deadline to work towards, as long as they work with an honest person.
They may not hire you for this job or this event, but in the future when they need someone they can trust, they will come to you. But to make this work, you must have two additional virtues, which are also quite rare: humility and unpretentiousness.
No one knows everything, so why do we tend to feel pressured to speak with authority on certain topics, when the truth is that our knowledge of them is quite limited? We are even ashamed to ask questions and ask for help. The root of this behavior may well be a lack of self-esteem. If we feel insecure about how we are perceived by others, we will probably feel pressured to exaggerate our abilities.
But stop and think for a minute: do not you have lots of talents and abilities? Are you really worth less just because you have not mastered a specific area? Obviously not!
Furthermore, remember that if you do not express your doubts, you will never learn. If you make it clear that this is the first time you are trying this, the people around you will have realistic expectations. Instead of thinking “wow, I thought he would be an expert on this”, they will think “wow! It was not bad for a beginner. ”
Unpretentiousness is being aware of its limitations. An unassuming person knows what he is capable of and how long it will take. Each person works at their own pace and has different amounts of energy. So if you often fail in your obligations, it is a sign that you do not know yourself well enough.
For example, an unassuming person does not say that he can arrive in half an hour if he needs to complete a report, respond to two e-mails and cross the city in rush hour traffic. Avoid these types of situations by thinking before you speak.
So before you give your word that you will help him move on Saturday, think about the road ahead. Whether it’s realistic that you can be there at 6:00 or after lunch, or if you unfortunately can not help. For example, you can say “I will call you on Friday when I have a better idea if I am available”.
The truth is that so-called “white lies”, exaggerations and broken promises undermine your privacy. On the other hand, humility and unpretentiousness help you to become a person with integrity in all areas of life.
Image by Pablo Fernandez.
