How You Do Anything, is How You Do Everything

I once had a friend who could justify almost anything. Taking money from the government during Covid was no problem because, “Everyone was doing it.”

Lying on his taxes was ok because his accountant said so. Maxing out all his credit cards and leasing a brand new SUV was a great idea because he was about to file bankruptcy.

For some people, bending the rules is fine, as long as you don’t get caught.

Just last night I was talking with my son about reading and said, “Remember a few years ago when I tried to get you to read more and I told you if you read all the Harry Potter books, I would take you to Universal Studios?”

He said, “Yes, I couldn’t do it.” Then jokingly he said, “I could have read the summaries and then told you I read all the books.”

I didn’t get mad. I just said, “No, you couldn’t have. Being honest isn’t a decision, it’s who you are.”

I went on to remind him how important being truthful is all the time is, not just when it’s convenient. If there is one thing I have taught my kids time and time again is how important being honest is. 

Whenever they fess up to something like, “Did you do your homework?” or “Did you clean your room?” and the answer is “No”, I don’t get upset. 

I always say the same thing, “Thank you for your honesty.” And then whatever comes next, “Go do your homework or go clean your room.”

They know if they were to lie after doing something they shouldn’t, that the lie is ten times worse than the offense.  

They also know how freeing it is to be able to tell the truth without fear of ramifications which makes it easy to be honest.

This type of mindset applies to just about everything.

People who show up on time, will generally adhere to deadlines. People who are honest in business, are loyal in relationships. 

Generous tippers are generous friends. Leaders on the field are leaders off the field.

Recently I had dinner with a friend of a friend. Right away, it became clear that he was very successful and has a lot of money. 

He was trying to impress me and was bragging how his attorney told him to never put too much in writing because then there’s a paper trail.

All I could think was if he was willing to tell me that on a first date, how much more dishonesty must be there for the asking. 

One dinner in and I knew I would never see him again.

You want to know if a guy would be a good boyfriend? Listen to him for a few days. Watch how he treats people-his mom, his friends, his kids, his co-workers. Is he affectionate, is he patient, is he kind, does he share?

You want to know if someone would be a good employee? Take them to lunch and watch how they interact with a waitress, if they’re texting while you’re chatting, do they hold a door, tip generously, say thank you.

People aren’t as complicated as we’d like to think.

Watch, listen, pay attention. Within a short amount of time, the most important things will reveal themselves. 

Because at the end of the day, how you do anything, is how you do everything.