On the TUNNEYSIDE of SPORTS July 10, 2017, #648 Up Next…“An honest approach”
After further review…A friend and fellow NFL official told me this story that bears repeating. One day while golfing with colleagues in the insurance business, he discovered yet another example of honesty being the only policy. He knew two of the men in his foursome but didn’t really get to know the fourth until later in the round. For sake of anonymity here, he called this fourth player “Ace.” Ace and his business partner had owned a property and casualty agency.
Those two had put in years of effort and grew their business into a respected midsize firm. It had attracted the attention of one of the big conglomerates. So, after heavy negotiations, they decided to accept the big firm’s offer and sell. But after a couple of years, Ace and his partner felt they weren’t active enough and wanted to take their business back into their own hands. The “big guns” said they couldn’t, claiming they had agreed to a non-compete clause. Ace knew there had never been such a discussion, much less an agreement, so the case went to court.
After two days of listening to both sides insisting their memory was the truth, the judge said, in effect, “It’s basically a question who do I believe, and in in the absence of any real evidence, I have to go with my gut. Several years ago, the judge said, “Ace played in the state golf championship. On the 18th hole, he hooked a drive into the rough, he was up and out in one, made his putt and apparently had won the tournament. However, before Ace signed his scorecard he admitted that he had grounded his club in the hazard. This violation, which no one had noticed, resulted in a two-stroke penalty and dropped him into second place. Ace could have slinked through and taken the win, but he didn’t. He told the truth when he didn’t have to and I believe he’s telling the truth now. Case closed.”
Being honest — in sports, in business, or relationships — for all the right reasons, even ones that you can’t anticipate, is the best and only way to live your life. This truth has been exposed time and time again, and more and more aptly proves the age-old saw—virtue is its own reward.
Will your path of life be down the road of honesty in all relationships?
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