In the book I am making for my eighteen year old friend Maya, who graduated this week, I am including quotes from famous people and some of my own words. I included my own words here to remind her:
No matter what people say about you,
at the end of the day, YOU have to be able to live with the results of your actions!
There is nothing more annoying than the person who lies, denies, or pretends they didn’t do THAT thing, when everyone knows they did. The person who always gives an excuse, never admits they were wrong, or always takes credit for the positive (whether they had anything to do with it or not) and never accepts the consequences of their error. We all know them, and at times may have been them! After we do this enough, people stop taking to us, telling us things, or even no longer invite us to attend things. The minute that person appears, everyone knows what to expect – a complete lack of honesty, accountability and integrity.
Can you think of a big whopping mistake you made and then had to admit it? UGGGGHHH! It may have felt like the most humiliating moment in your life. There may have been tears, anger, supreme disappointment, or even complete and utter humiliation. I have a long list of those moments, we all probably have a flub up list! I am proud to say I learned to have the integrity to admit my mistakes and face the consequences. I beat myself up for varying lengths of time. After I could forgive myself, I worked hard to make sure I never made that mistake again. It is these moments that our integrity, courage, and personal brand is cemented for ourselves and others. When we are wiling to live with the results and consequences of our actions, THAT is the day we have grown into the person we can live with for the rest of our days. THAT is the person people want on their team.
So Maya, let’s boil it down. ALWAYS take responsibility for your actions. The good, the bad and the ugly. It may sound counterintuitive, yet people like you more when you flub up and admit it. No one likes a liar. None of us are perfect, so when you flub things up, admit it, correct it, apologize if necessary, and make sure it doesn’t happen gain. YOU have to live with YOUR ACTIONS, so be sure you can live with them before you take that first step.
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