Mr. Achievement - Stanley F. Bronstein - Personal Development BlogPersonal Development Blog of the Founder of the Achievement IQ Movement and Creator of the Laws of Positioning

Law #9

Position Yourself To Be Candid

A ”No” uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a ”Yes” merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble. (Mahatma Gandhi)

Candid - Frank; outspoken; open and sincere. Free from reservation, disguise, or subterfuge; straightforward.

Outspoken - Uttered or expressed with frankness or without reserve.

Open - Accessible, as to appeals, ideas, or offers. Unreserved, candid, or frank, as persons or their speech, aspect, etc..

Sincere - Free of deceit, hypocrisy, or falseness; earnest. Genuine. Real.

Disguise - To conceal or cover up the truth or actual character of by a counterfeit form or appearance; misrepresent.

Subterfuge - A deceptive stratagem or device. An artifice or expedient used to evade a rule, escape a consequence, hide something, etc.

Straightforward - Direct; not roundabout. Free from crookedness or deceit; honest.

Conviction - A fixed or firm belief.

Source: Dictionary.com

What Was Gandhi Suggesting?

I believe Gandhi was telling us that it is better to be candid, to be frank; outspoken and sincere, than it is to conceal or cover up the truth by being deceptive. He was telling us to be direct. To be free from deceit or dishonesty.

Note that Gandhi used the phrase “deepest conviction.” He was emphasizing that we need to be sincere. We need to make sure our actions and words are consistent with our beliefs.

Being Straightforward

My clients often tell me one of the things they like about me the most is that I am straightforward. I do not hesitate to say what is on my mind. They never have to wonder where they stand with me, because I’m always going to tell them where they stand with me. I often hear the same remarks from opposing parties in legal transactions I have worked on. In fact, because of my straightforwardness, I’ve often been hired on later deals to work for the people I opposed on previous transactions.

I’m suggesting that if you make sure that you are straightforward, others around you will take notice and you will benefit from that.

Being Open

Being open is a 2 part process and each process feeds upon the other. First, you have to let others know that you are open to new / differing points of view; that you are approachable. Secondly, you have to be willing to honestly and sincerely consider those differing points of view once they are expressed.

Have you ever met someone who has what I call “tunnel vision?” They can only see their own point of view that is right in front of their face. They are unwilling to turn their heads and even attempt to see things as others around them might. If you ever catch yourself doing that, you need to stop as soon as possible. It’s not always an easy thing to do, but learning how to do so will benefit you more than you can possibly imagine.

Being Honest and Trustworthy

Once lost, it is difficult to regain one’s trust.  My older brother told me many years ago that I always needed to be honest in my business dealings.  He said that is because I’m going to be in business for a long time and people around me will remember whether or not I am honest.  If I ever committed one dishonest act, they would remember that forever.  I took his advice to heart and now I’m sharing it with you.  It was good advice indeed.

Being Sincere

Genuine, honest, sincerity will take you far in life.   By being ree of deceit, hypocrisy, or falseness, people will realize that you are genuine; that you are real.  You will benefit from that as well.

Conclusion

While being candid can sometimes be painful, I believe that the benefits to be derived from candidness, FAR outweigh any problems or inconvenience that may be caused by it.  By being true to yourself, you will be proud of yourself and you will be able to walk in the world with your head held high.