We are living in a society wherein we can hardly trust anyone, because of the prevailing dishonesty. When people are honest they can be relied and they tend always to do right. Honesty is the foundation upon which a person builds any relationship with his loved ones. Honesty makes life simple and draws us closer to God.
Honesty means having the quality of truthfulness. Truth is not only truthfulness in word but also truthfulness in our thoughts and actions. Telling the truth may have some adverse effects but ultimately it leads to good. Suppose everybody in the world starts telling lies, then nobody can be trusted. Therefore honesty is a very essential quality of our character. Without honesty our character is like a building without bricks.
By being honest we may not have a lot of relationships in our lives. But it will always give us the right one. No one says that one likes a dishonest person. And all parents want to make their children honest and upright. It is a key factor in the development of a child’s character. Even animals are known for their loyalty and honesty. A dog, for instance, is sometimes ready to sacrifice its life for its master. So we have to be honest wherever we are and whatever we do. Every job is respectable. But the important thing is to do every job honestly. We can make ourselves honorable by being honest and sincere.
To lead an honest life, we have to say what we mean, make promises which we can keep, admit our mistakes, refuse to lie, cheat or steal, tell the truth tactfully. It is essential for a person to be honest with himself. Moreover “Honesty is the foundation for trust,” because honesty produces trust which is needed for a relationship to be sustained.
Marsha Sinetar, the great author said, “Trust is not a matter of technique, but of character.” It means, we are trusted because of our way of being, not of our polished exteriors or our expertly crafted communications. Trust is earned and honesty is learned by religious spiritual beliefs, from parents, teachers and elders. If anybody wants to be trusted he/ she must be honest and if he/she wants to be honest he must be truthful. If we are dishonest nobody will trust us.
Honesty makes the heart and mind pure. When we keep our promises everyone will trust us. There is validity for honesty at all time and by all people and God gives reward for it. Nowadays, most of the people are concentrating on money and wealth. We can earn money and wealth easily but it is too difficult to earn ‘trust’. It can be earned only through honesty. If you grumble that you have no good friends to trust, check the level of honesty in your life. It is up to every person to prove trustworthy by leading honest lives.
No relationship can be built on lies and mistrust; it must have a solid foundation of honesty. To be trusted is better than to be loved. If everyone is honest in this world then the world will become heaven.
There are four very important words in life namely, love, honesty, trust and respect. Without these in our life, we are nothing. Honesty is the foundation for trust. We cannot have one without the other. I am sure that where there is honesty there is trust, where there is no truth there is no trust. By living honestly, a person will find that his life is more enriched and meaningful. Trust is earned while honesty is lived. So try to be honest in our lives, earn trust and celebrate the joy of true relationships.