Thursday, January 6, 2011

Wisdom on Wednesdays...On Thursday?

I looked at the calendar this morning, and DOH! I had a brain fart yesterday and missed my Wisdom on Wednesday post! Sorry if I let my faithful Wednesday followers down.

I'm not even going to try to pretend I did that on purpose; the first week back from Christmas vacation is always nutso. But I'm making up for it today with this wisdom post, right?

Right. I thought so.

And it's good that you agree, because today's wisdom post is about Honesty, and how it really is the best policy.

I know when we mess up and miss a deadline, or an appointment, or screw up and send the wrong version of a manuscript, or forget ourselves and say something hurtful about an agent or editor or fellow writer in public, it's really tempting to cover it up, blame someone else, or just try to act like it never happened. But that doesn't really work in our favor, does it? All it does is show us up for the insecure little people that we are when we do that. (And we have all done that, haven't we?)

A much better road is the high road: own up, apologize, and ask if you can have a chance to make it right. It's mature, it's professional, and it's responsible. That's the kind of person I want others to recognize me as; it's the kind of person I want to be.

So, I'll start. I'm sorry I messed up and posted the wrong thing yesterday. And I'm sorry if it takes me a few weeks to mail out books people win on my blog. I'll try to do better next time.


How about you? What have you got on your mind that you need to be honest about?

4 comments:

  1. I don't mind admitting when I make mistakes, but I make sure to NEVER say something bad about someone else's book publicly. It's bad karma I think.

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  2. I have a hard time not speaking my mind all the time. Sometimes it's hard to recognize when I have stepped on toes or crossed a line. I think my brain lacks a filter between it and my mouth or something...but, you're right, apologizing is important to being a grown up!

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  3. Great wisdom here. We all goof up, make mistakes, have "off" days where we say or do or act in ways that aren't helpful to those around us (or society as a whole). It's best to apologize than live with the pressure and guilt of knowing you were wrong and never admitting it. That's just a lot of extra weight no one needs to carry.

    Happy New Year!
    Jen

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  4. Matthew: yes, I agree about not spreading negativity about other people's books. It's one of the reasons I don't do reviews, unless I happen to pick up a book I love - I don't want to be in a position where someone asks me to review something and then I don't like it.

    Colene, sometimes it's hard to see where the line is until it's been crossed, isn't it? But good on ya for recognizing when you've gone too far and wanting to make it right.

    Jen, Happy New Year to you, too! I agree - why lug around extra weight when you don't have to? That's the kind of thing that will kill a person from the inside out.

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