The worth of a handshake

The handshake of someone used to mean something, but not so much anymore. Whatever happened to that sort of trust, honesty and integrity?

Now its real hard to believe anything someone says because it seems that too many individuals have these hidden agendas lying in the back of their minds and will do whatever it takes to see those agendas to fruition, whether good or bad.

We see it in politics, religion, families, the workplace, school and social settings. The good ole’ what can you do for me policy.

Gone are the days (there are still a few that follow through) when a man would tell his friend that he would be there to help him with a project then stick to it. Usually, some sort of excuse is offered to the letdown person followed by an insensitive attempt at an apology. Deals used to be made with a handshake, now they require a lawyer and contract that takes another lawyer to decipher, and it has come to this simply due to the fact that somewhere down the line someone agreed to something and then didn’t follow through and it cost the other party dearly.

We hear politicians speak of how they are going to make things better for the citizens, then months or even weeks later offer up some excuse as to why or how their great plans for making things better will not work. They say things they cannot back up, it’s just simple lip service to get approval from the voters or their peers. But what they don’t realize, I am guessing, is they do not understand what it’s doing to their credibility.

A person’s word should carry more weight than any legislation, any ruling, any law. Your word is who you are. Your word is what you stand for. Your word is you.

Being a public official, a boss, a parent or a spouse requires integrity, honesty and trust. A person cannot be successful as a public official, or a boss, or a parent or a spouse if their word means nothing.

My grandfather and father always dropped little sayings on me as boy growing up. Things like; “You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar,” or “If you’re going to do something, do it right,” or “Always to do the right thing, work hard and do your best,” or “Actions speak louder than words,” or one of my favorites, “Think before you talk.”

Simple quotes like these, if more leaders, politicians, parents or spouses would follow them would have a grand effect on the world we live in. But maybe those days are long gone and all we can look forward to is the chaos we now live in.

Happy living Cibola.