Lie and Cheat 101 - Life Lessons on the Run
Opportunities to teach life lessons - in this case why you should never lie and cheat - can come from the strangest places. Just the other day I was walking my seven-year-old daughter to school. We were chatting excitedly about a new recipe we were going to make from scratch that evening. It was Ambrosia's favorite - shrimp fried rice!
However, she had a BIG concern. I recently took on the Insanity Workout program, purported to be THE hardest workout ever recorded on DVD, at least for public commercial distribution. Ambrosia watched me huff and puff my way through one of the routines where I ended up literally drenched with sweat. She realized that this was one helluva workout for anyone, and even more so for her 57-year-old step-dad. Bless her little heart, she didn't want me to be all worn out by the evening where I might have to postpone our little cooking adventure.
Mind you, I have a long track record of starting things and not following through. So in order to keep myself accountable, I decided to video record all 60 days of the Insanity Workout program and post them on YouTube. Ambrosia has been part of a few of those videos and can attest to the fact that I put my ALL into my workouts. Today she thought it might not only be OK but quite necessary for the 'old man' to take it easy. She definitely didn't want any excuses from me, especially where shrimp fried rice was concerned!
It's OK Because I Got Permission to Lie and Cheat
"Russy, why don't you just TELL the people that you did the workout... but don't REALLY do it so you can save your energy for tonight."
There's nothing quite like the sweet innocence of a little child. With the very best intentions she was offering me permission to slack off; to hold back and not do my best; to lie and cheat! I couldn't resist the chance to teach a valuable life lesson.
"People will be able to tell if I'm faking it," I explained to her.
"How will they know, Russy? They won't be there to see you."
Can't argue with that logic, right? However, because I had 'been there' before, recalling my own childhood when my mom ALWAYS knew, I shared with Ambrosia some of my hard-earned wisdom. "Trust me... they will KNOW!"
That's How They Know
"What do you mean, Russy?" Ambrosia honestly thought she had given me an airtight alibi to sneak one past my viewers.
"Well, do you ever wonder how Mommy and Russy know when you're lying?" I asked and waited for her reply. Of course, like any other kid, she has tried to put a thing or two by her mom and I.
Now the kid was really intrigued. In her mind I immediately became like the magician about to reveal the most guarded secret to his best trick.
"They will know because *I* will know!"
How Does It Feel to Lie and Cheat
"Tell me, how do you FEEL when you are telling Mommy or I a lie?" I queried, playing on her emotions.
Ambrosia admitted that she didn't feel very comfortable.
I continued, "And when you don't feel comfortable, you don't LOOK or ACT comfortable. You squirm and you can't look people straight in the eye. That's how people can tell."
By this time we were arriving at her school. But I could tell Ambrosia fully understood the lesson. My guess is that she learned as much, if not more during that 8-minute walk than she did for the rest of the day.
That's How They Know (reprise)
There is an old principle that says, "Whatever you do unto others, you do unto yourself."
I'm going to suggest that the reverse is also true. Whatever you do to yourself - lie, cheat, etc. - you do unto others. And that's how they know! In everything, do your honest best. When you do that, I KNOW you're gonna Love That Feeling!
The world can seem like a crazy place sometimes...
OK, a LOT of the time!
Russ Hamel
