Pass the sun test

Here is an old story.

A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a Midwest town he planned to visit on his vacation. He wrote:

“I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well-groomed and very well behaved. Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room at night?”

An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who said:

“I’ve been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I’ve never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware or pictures off the walls.

I’ve never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. And I’ve never had a dog run out on a hotel bill.

Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, you’re welcome to stay here, too.”

I have clients from the hotel and service industry. And things like these occur too often, sometimes decent looking and sincere sounding people bring home stuff that they are not supposed to, rationalizing that they have paid a high fee for the room rates anyway and besides, they are merely collecting stuff as “souvenirs.” Sounds sincere, yet still wrong.

Which brings me to another thought. “Sincerely yours,” This is what we usually include in our letter as its final salutation. Have you ever wondered where the word, “sincere” comes from?

I was listening to a speaker one time who would lace his entire speech with, “honestly… let me be honest… in all honesty…”

 As a speaker myself I laugh a little and the cynical part of me begins to rise. “Why does this speaker keep on using the word “honest” such that it has risen to a level of annoyance? Is it because he is not honest and he wants people to believe him?

And then I arrested myself and reminded myself that as a speaker, “fillers” sometimes are unconsciously used to fill in the gap of thinking as the speaker is transitioning from one thought to another. And I hope this is the case because if my original suspicion is right, then the speaker is certainly putting up a show and not really expressing “sincere” thoughts and ideas.

In the Roman Empires’ final corrupt years, status was conveyed by the number of carved statues of the gods displayed in people’s courtyards. As in every business, the Roman statue industry had good and bad sculptors and merchants. As the empire became increasingly greedy and narcissistic, the bad got away with as much as they could. Sculptors became adept at using wax to hide cracks and chips in marble and most people couldn’t discern the difference in quality.

So what happens when unsuspecting buyers bring home their cracked statues that have been cosmetically coated with wax?

Do not forget that they did not have air-conditioning at that time. So, statues began to weep or melt under the intense sunlight or heat in foyers. For statues of authentic fine quality, carved by reputable artists, people had to go to the artisan marketplace in the Roman Quad and look for booths with signs declaring “SINE CERA,” which translates to, “without wax.” And that is where we get the word “Sincere.”

We, too, look for the real thing in friends, products and services. In people, we value sincerity more than almost any other virtue.

Trust is still the glue that holds relationships together, whether in business or in the family, and we need to make sure that our words and deeds would pass the “sun test” and that they do not “weep” when faced and presented in the light of truth.

A valuable asset in doing business is always credibility, trustworthiness and an untainted reputation. Leaking company secrets, stealing databases and company accounts, siphoning company funds or manipulating family inheritance, etc. These things may provide momentary benefits, but would “weep and melt” in the light of long-term confidence and trust.

Always be careful especially in money matters. Always speak the truth and do what is right no matter how hard or inconvenient it is. This after all makes a lot of sense and prevents stress.

Henry W. Longfellow says: “It takes less time to do a thing right than it does to explain why you did it wrong.” I am sure Longfellow was very sincere in saying this.

(Unleash Your Best Work Every Day – Die Empty! This is what bestselling author and podcast personality Todd Henry will present on Nov. 9 at Samsung Hall, SM Aura. Vic Gregorio, Francis Kong and a host of surprise guests will talk on passion, productivity and purpose. For registration or inquiries contact April at +63928-559-1798).