UNITED STATES—How much is a lie worth? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Probably, probably not, but it is indeed something you should seriously think about people. Why? A lie is a lie no matter how you spin it, and sometimes the lie does more harm than more help. I think this is absolutely vital in the professional arena, but also when it comes to family dynamics.

We sometimes tell little fibs or lies as we call it to family members to protect them from being hurt or feeling some sort of way about an issue. However, if you have people just telling you what you want to hear, it ONLY hurts 10x more when you actually hear the truth. You can deliver the truth with a cautious blow; you don’t have to be harsh or wicked in the delivery. There are some people who don’t know how to fully deliver the truth without being blunt, rude or dismissive as some people call it.

On the flip side, you have people who can tell a lie and they convince themselves that the lie is the truth, no matter how obvious the lie is they’ll stick to it until the end of time. However, is sticking to that lie worth the trouble you’ll ultimately place yourself in? Seriously think about it. When it comes to family, it will at some point be exposed and once exposed, things get downright dirty and nasty.

Trust me, I’m dealing with a family situation right now where the lies have turned into deception and that deception has turned to name calling, feuding and just a family fractured into pieces. I don’t see how we’re going to recover and if we do, with all honesty America it is going to take a serious amount of time before any healing takes place. In the work arena, it’s a bit different. You cannot lie about your work performance or tasks that you are aimed to complete. Why?

If you don’t do it, someone else has to step in to do it. In that process, it can lead to stress for a co-worker who already has a ton of stress on his or her plate. It could lead to a delay in things that need to be completed that can have significant impacts if not properly completed people. The thing about telling a lie at work, is that you have to cover with another lie and that lie turns into another lie and before you know it things blow up in your face. Just own it, and when I say that, it feels a lot better being honest than telling a fib or a lie because in the back of your mind that lie is always lingering people. It never goes away, it is like they say telling the truth will set you free. That large weight that has been on your shoulders is now removed and you have a sigh of relief you can breathe.

In the end, you really have to think about what you gain by telling a lie and compare that to what you could lose when the truth ultimately comes out. It’s like covering up a murder people, at some point the truth will come out and the consequences will be far worse than you can imagine. A lie has the same ramifications, the problem is sometimes we don’t realize it until it’s too late and that is the problem people.