Doing the right thing is not as hard as we often think it will be. We know what needs to be done, and we just need to take responsibility for our actions and do it. Once you overcome your own fear and do what is right, your work is done.
BUT, if you choose to try and cover up something that is wrong or somehow convert a wrong to a right, your battle is just beginning. You will forever be trying to convince everyone around you that what you did was right, even when they know otherwise. You will be signing yourself up for a never-ending sales pitch, just to justify taking the easy way out.
We all make mistakes, and we all have things that we need to own. But you have the choice of making amends quickly and putting the issue behind you or trying to hide the truth and carry the weight of your “hidden” mistake for weeks or even years.
Do yourself a favor and own up to your mistakes and free yourself from that lingering guilt. Over time, the weight can become unbearable.
The weight will be unbearable, not ‘can’. When you do the right thing, you don’t have a reason to be looking over your shoulders. You know there will be penalties for doing the wrong things, and time will be your master.
But if you do the right things, you will be your own master. Doing the right things also gives you more choices and control over your life and will carry you farther than if you did the wrong thing. There is more to gain from doing right.
This is so true, too, Kathy, and a great reminder of a universal truth—humility is one of the three basic qualities of a “magnanimous” person according to St. Aquinas. We learn from our mistakes as long as we have the humility to admit to them, try again, and move on. Thank you for another helpful and inspiring post! xxxooo