Law #49 - Position Yourself To Be Honest
by Stanley Bronstein on June 25, 2008
Law #49
Position Yourself To Be Honest
Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist. (Mary Kay Ash)
Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. (Thomas Jefferson)
Some Definitions
Honesty - The quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness. Truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness. Freedom from deceit or fraud.
Cornerstone - Something that is essential, indispensable, or basic. The chief foundation on which something is constructed or developed. A stone representing the nominal starting place in the construction of a monumental building, usually carved with the date and laid with appropriate ceremonies.
Success - The favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors. The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted.
Without - With the absence, omission, or avoidance of; not with; with no or none of; lacking. Free from; excluding.
Confidence - Belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance. Full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing.
Ability - Power or capacity to do or act physically, mentally, legally, morally, financially, etc.. Competence in an activity or occupation because of one’s skill, training, or other qualification.
Perform - To carry out; execute; do. To carry into effect; fulfill.
Cease - To stop; discontinue. To come to an end.
Exist - To have actual being; be. To have being in a specified place or under certain conditions; be found; occur.
First - Being before all others with respect to time, order, rank, importance, etc.. In preference to something else; rather; sooner.
Chapter - A main division of a book, treatise, or the like, usually bearing a number or title. An important portion or division of anything.
Book - A written or printed work of fiction or nonfiction, usually on sheets of paper fastened or bound together within covers.
Wisdom - Having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion. The quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight. Scholarly knowledge or learning.
Source: Dictionary.com
Mary Kay’s Quote
What stands out to me is that she says HONESTY is the “cornerstone” of all success. In other words, she is saying that honest is indispensable. It is the foundation upon which everything else is built.
Focus on that word foundation:
Foundation - The basis or groundwork of anything.
As any good builder will tell you, you MUST have a strong foundation, or any house you build on top of it will eventually come tumbling down.
Thomas Jefferson’s Quote
Thomas Jefferson doesn’t use the word cornerstone, nor does he use the word foundation. He simply says honest must come first. In other words, he placed honesty in the #1 position. In effect, he was saying that honesty is more important than anything else.
Comparing The Two Quotes
In effect, both quotes are saying the exact same thing. I just believe Thomas Jefferson said it in a fewer words, as he was known as a man who chose his words carefully.
They are both saying that Honesty is of primary importance. Without honesty, you will not be able to achieve any lasting measure of success in your life.
An Example From My Life
I remember when I first started working with my older brother in 1984. Two of the very first things he told me were:
- You’re going to be in business for a long time, so you need to maintain your honesty and your integrity at ALL times, otherwise no one will ever trust you; and
- If he ever caught me being dishonest he was NOT going to be very happy (actually those aren’t quite the words he used, but it gets the point across).
He Was Right
Now, nearly 25 years later, I would have to say my brother Martin was 100% correct. I have been fortunate to have built an excellent reputation for being a man of my word. I’ve worked very hard to build that reputation and I’ve worked very hard to keep it.
Honesty is an important trait you need to cultivate within yourself AND others (especially if you have children). Children are pretty smart people. They see things from a fresh perspective and they often see things others do not. Teach them honesty from the very beginning and you’ll be glad you did.
Until next time, take care, my dear friends.Mr. Achievement
Stanley F. Bronstein
Attorney & CPA
June 25th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Great post! I would be careful quoting Jefferson. T.Jefferson was a racist slave-owner, who philandered and took advantage of his ‘property’. Jefferson was the closest thing the country had to an aristocrat, and a complete opposite to the spirit of the DoI and the US Constitution.
June 25th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I’m aware of the type of man Thomas Jefferson apparently was, both good and bad. I’m primarily interested in his ideas, not necessarily the way he conducted his life.
I quoted him because I felt his quote said what I was trying to convey.
By the way, did you see the recent John Adams mini-series on HBO? I ask because if you’re a student of history, you’d probably love it (if you haven’t already seen it). Thomas Jefferson also played a very prominent role in the show.
If you’ve already seen it great, if not, you need to rent it ASAP.
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
June 25th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I was able to read the ‘John Adams’ book along with ‘1776′. I was not able to catch the entire series on HBO however… Love history…
June 25th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I love Paul Giamatti and I highly recommend the book too.
June 25th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
I sincerely hope the entire John Adams production, Paul Giammati and Laura Linney win TONS of awards. The HBO miniseries on John Adams was so enjoyable, I still miss it right now.
Quite simply, in my opinion, there is nothing on television right now that even begins to approach that level of quality.
Stanley Bronstein
MrAchievement
June 27th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
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