Doing it right or wrong?

Sometimes in life you are presented with an option, do what is easy or do what is right.
Easy is always better until it becomes a issue that tests your character.

When I was in my 20's I was at the grocery store and among my purchases was a spiral cut ham. (I don't like most pork so I don't even know why I was buying ham. In my adult life I have made two.) The cashier rang up my order and I went home. I was pretty surprised the total was so low but she checked me out so it had to be a sale or something. When I got home I was bugged by it so I checked the receipt. She forgot to ring up the ham. I debated going back to the store but I was home and I just didn't feel like going through the hassle. I didn't mean to walk out without paying and I was willing and able to pay but I didn't want to go all the way back. It is 20 years later and I still feel bad about not going back. My moral compass was in the right place but I was lazy.



Since that time I have been tested more than once. Seeing someone drop money and giving it back. Finding someone's change in the grocery store change machine and taking the cash to an employee with hope the person it belongs to returns, or noticing that a cashier forgot something and making them go back and scan it. I made a huge error years ago with my employer.The error was an $18,000 misplaced comma. I went to my boss and had meetings with the top execs and admitted my error, apologized and was prepared to take my medicine. I ended up being promoted 6 months later in part because I was honest.


These type of challenges come A lot in life. Some are major subjects like telling someone you love them, telling someone goodbye, or telling yourself the truth even when the truth is painful. I don't pat myself on the back because I am honest. I don't expect any great thanks in return. I do it most of the time without even thinking. I do it because when I was a little girl and lied to my mother she told me "I hate liars." That lesson stuck much better than the soap for a smart mouth stuck. My smart mouth will still get me in trouble....but at least I'm honest! ;)



Doing the right thing isn't the easy thing and it isn't the glorious thing. It's the right thing because you can live with yourself. It's the right thing because you can look in the mirror. It's the right thing because 20 years later you aren't guilty over a stupid ham!

So, how do you do the right thing?

Simply,
Laura
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