To Tell The Truth

"The truth is…,"
"Believe me when I tell you…,"
" I’m not kidding…"
And the list goes on and on. These are all phrases to emphasize that what is about to come from one's mouth can be believed. The truth is: the truth can be difficult to tell and often even harder to recognize. We hear stories every day in politics, business and in our own personal lives of lies and deceit that destroy countries, companies, families and relationships.

In the end, it all comes down to trust. Trust is the foundation upon which we build the relationships in our lives. Like any foundation, trust is the strongest base upon which we can build a relationship. It creates the conditions that allow leaders to move the masses. Trust is so powerful, yet it can be so fragile. After years of being built up, it can be shattered in a moment. Think Richard Nixon. Think Jim and Tammy Baker. Think John Edwards. Think Rick Patino.

Once broken, the process of building trust begins again one brick at a time. And though we may build back trust over time, it may never be as strong as it once was. The truth we tell after we have broken trust may not seem as true as it once did. You see, truth is a function of trust. Without trust, truth doesn’t matter. If someone is telling the truth and yet there is no trust on the part of the listener, the truth does not exist for those two.

So, when you open your mouth with intent to "fudge" the truth, realize there's much more riding on it than just one little falsehood that may temporarily get you off the hook. You're risking so much more.