The Bravest Act: Telling the Truth

Daily writing prompt

What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done when no one was watching?

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In my opinion, telling the truth, even after knowing the severe consequences, is the bravest thing. When the choice is soley yours, the easiest pick could be hiding the truth. Even then if someone chooses to tell the truth, he is the bravest of all.

I have faced such situations many times. I am very vocal about telling the truth, even when I know the serious effects on me. I have followed one principle in life, always tell truth without hiding anything. At least Good night sleep is assured.

However, sometimes telling the truth becomes extremely difficult. Particularly when the stakes are high.

This is story from my corporate life. When I joined a new department, I realised that there are few practices which are highly objectionable according to the company policies. And the stakes were high. This was surely serious and it was necessary for me to become whistle blower. This revelation was to be done in front of the baord and it was not so pleasant to face the board with such a bad news of financial loss.

I spent few sleepless nights gathering the courage, but still feared the consequences on my career. In the process, I never even thought of hiding the truth.

Then I pucrahsed the book by Mahatma Gandhi, titles “My Experiments with Truth”. This book gave me courage to speak out. And then I declared in the board about irregularity courageously after the gap of more than a month.

I was asked one question instantaneously about the delay and again I chose to tell the truth about my fear and how I prepared.

Surprisingly, board members listened to me calmly, and appreciated my act of telling truth and assured that there will not be any punishment. And I was asked to esnure that such practices are completely stopped and never encouraged.

Though the story ended with happy note, overall process was surely very stressful and that time I realised, the bravest thing in life is, to tell truth even when you have choice of hiding it.

Thank you my dear readers for stopping by

Stay Happy & keep smiling.