How do you feel about bending the rules?
Not cheating! Just bending a little so as not to break. Some are not bothered at all. Some a little and others a lot. How about you?
The problem is that rules are usually connected to a greater and higher principal but over time rules get fine tuned and distorted so as to lose touch with the greater principal they were set in place to protect.
For example: The no Smoking sign in front of the filled gas station pump denotes the higher principal that gas fumes and burning paper are a bad combination.
Recently, I have noticed that another sign has appeared on the gas pump that says No Cell Phone usage. While we may not light up at the pump we may still dial up because the larger principal is out of focus.
Our congress and legislators love rules, they call them laws. Some of the principals they protect are so out of focus that the rule or law is no longer even connected to the original principal behind the law.
Here are some thoughts about how to avoid becoming a bender:
1. Be conscience of who you are when no one else is looking. We tend to reveal more about ourselves when we believe we are un-watched. Recognize that who you are in secret is really who you are.
2. Anticipate temptation: If I am honest with myself, I can usually see trouble long before I get into it.
3. Work with Character not characters: My father in law had a saying that has stuck with me that relates to this point. He would say: "If a man will lie to you he will steal from you". Wow! What a revelation. Don't invest your reputation or time into someone of questionable character.
4. If there is any question as to whiter you can do what you say don't say it: I started a small business several years ago and had a few employees. It was a serviced base business and I taught them this phrase by which we would do business: "UNDER PROMISE! OVER DELIVER!" It worked for us. Every employee took it to heart and we grew quickly. Customers would often attribute their loyalty to an employee who over preformed for them.
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I've always thought that those who operate under the principle of trying to bend the rules as far as they could without breaking them were usually people that had a certain question mark to their character. Why is it some people feel that they must push the rules as far as they can? Those that push the rules in such a way usually wind up breaking them. In my opinion, bending the rules IS breaking them. They weren't meant to be broken, nor were they meant to be bent.