|
When a Married Man Cheats, is it with You? You know the names by now: John Edwards, Tiger Woods, Jesse James, David Letterman, Mark Sanford, and Tiki Barber—just ... |
Recent Columns
Being the Real You in the Real World
A Lesson from Tiger Woods
Original Publication Date:
January 2010
-The Who
Tiger puts a round ball in a small hole. He does it better than anybody. He'll be back one day soon, I'm sure, to go at it again. That's what he does. That's NOT who he is. All his money and fame and talent can't make him a good, honest, trustworthy guy, unless he chooses to be that guy. Maybe he is just a liar and cheater and a self-serving narcissist who happens to be a great golfer. We can respect the golfer. We don't have to respect the guy. He deluded himself into thinking he was something that he wasn't: untouchable. Maybe he can put his arrogance aside long enough to learn a lesson in humility. I hope for him, he can take this time to reflect and figure out who he is. The real Tiger is there somewhere. Maybe he can find him and in the future make better choices and better decisions so those who love him most won't get hurt. Maybe he can let the fans in on it when he figures it out, too. Yes, character matters. His character, your character, and my character do matter. Who we really are is who we are. We can't pretend and hide behind a veil of lies. Eventually the veil will drop—or you hit a fire hydrant—and there will be no place left to hide! When you discover the real you and show it to the world, they can take it or leave it, but at least they'll know it's the real one and not some fake masquerading in its place.
Pz's Pointers on Being the Real You
1. Choosing right over wrong
Unless you are a psychopath or lunatic, and for our purposes here I'm going to suppose you are neither, then, you know right from wrong. As little children we are taught lying, cheating, stealing, or harming others for our own gain is behavior that is not acceptable in a civilized society where human beings care for and love one another. Many instances will arise as we go through life that will require we make a decision. Do we choose to do what's right or not? We can be selfish and not consider the consequences our actions will cause. We can turn away from truth and think we're entitled to do what we want to do because we can and because we think we deserve it. We can think the world owes us and if others have done it why can't we? We can be arrogant or egotistical and if it looks alluring or feels enticing why not? Temptation is around every corner. None of us are perfect, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't strive toward a more perfect way of living. Bernie Madoff picked people's pockets on a grand scale. The pick pocket on the subway picks one pocket at a time. Both are thieves, both steal, and both picked wrong over right. Who you are is directly attached to your sense of right versus wrong. Conscious people are evolved people. Evolved people make more right choices than wrong ones. The more in-tune you become with that part of you that knows the difference, the easier it will be to make the right decisions and choices even when they aren't so easy.
Reader Comments
Be the first to write a comment!
