Wednesday 13 January 2010

Follow














Follow truthfulness even if you think it may harm you, for truthfulness never harms but instead saves. Do not lie even if you think it will protect you. Lying never protects, it only destroys.

~~ the Hadith ~~

*artwork by Melody Sage

56 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi, I just found your blog!
I love this quote - why lie - I love honesty and integrity

Jacinta said...

"Truth, and goodness, and beauty are but different faces of the same all."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Lots of love to you Renee. xxx

Manon said...

Morning my dear Renee!! Yes .... we do have to follow truthfulness ... for sure.... except a white lie? ...every once in a while?...lol!
Love you sisterfriend!!
manon
xo

Sarah Sullivan said...

So very true and so very hard to teach. Love you hon, Sarah

Annie said...

Oh, sometimes I tell people they look good when they don't, does that count? Other than that, yes, tell the truth and be kind about it. Love you and kisses. xoxo

Karin Bartimole said...

So perfect - the pairing of this image with the quote, love it Renee. And I love you, K

turquoise cro said...

Isn't that the truth??!!! hehe LOVE this quote and also Melody's artwork!! YOU lie to someone YOU lie to yourself and this is no good for anyone!

angela recada said...

Good morning, dear Renee. This quote and painting are perfect. Yes, honesty and truth are essential in any real relationship.

I love you, and that's the truth.
xoxoxoxo
Angela

Lori ann said...

good morning sweetheart.
i have to go to work, i want to stay home today. that is the truth.
my husband and kids say i am a terrible liar, i am glad they think that.
love,lori

secret agent woman said...

Wouldn't the world be a better place if people would follow this? It could save so much heartache if people dealt truthfully (and yet, compassionately) with each other.

Deborah said...

Ah, yes, I learned very early on in the Difficult Years that it was much better to live in the truth. All my love to you, Deb ♥

Elizabeth said...

Yes. Yes. Yes. And I love the accompanying picture!

Arija said...

That is very true my friend. Looking into the mirror with your eyes closed serves no useful purpose at all, only confusing the issue and leading to regret.

Love is the only the answer. Love, and all things fall into place.

Anonymous said...

How true is this...

Coming from a family that could stretch the truth, lie to protect themselves, deny the truth....

It drove me "fucking" crazy!!!!!

Russell has such high integrity. I know thats one thing that drew me to him.

How's your mum? I hope she liked Effie and that she will take her to your sisters house...

I love you Renee...
Did the bats calm down?

Linda Sue said...

I don't know, girl...lying protected me from my brother when growing up, otherwise he would have surely killed me for touching his things....especially the magazines under his bed.

Marion said...

My dear and precious friend, what a wise and true post. Lies only lead to more lies, multiplying like fleas on a dog. I love the awesome picture, too. Blessings, dearest. I love you! xoxo

Arija said...

Renee love, thank yoy for caring. The wather is cooler and I have my dear sister with me until early morning. We were going to bathe in the sea when we take her back in the morning. Swimming is too strenuous, but just emersion would have been great. Now I know I cannot tolerate the 300km round trip. Merde. I was so looking forward to it too. I can move a little better and even managed to make dinner last night. Now it is 5.45am and I have been up since three, chest pains sent me out of bed, so here I sit.
Thank you for coming by.

Is your mother at least comfortable? My love to you all in this time of leave taking. Hugs XOX and blessings.

Caio Fern said...

this post is incredible apropriate for me today .

kisses Renee !!

Shaista said...

Renee, I just copied this into my journal. Sometimes the word Hadith unnerves me because I don't like the idea that we can judge each other based on human failings, and so-called weaknesses. We change and grow and adapt and it is important also to be soft and malleable and compassionate and endlessly forgiving, to others as well as to ourselves, don't you agree?
I read this in a different way, in the larger sense of speaking out about taboo subjects, and having the courage, as women, to protect each other.

Anil P said...

True even if it is a tough act to follow.

Arija said...

You wish! I'd rather be up and doing than sitting around like a bad smell.

isay said...

really true! and i like the image-i love colors-it makes me happy.

love,

kj said...

renee, does revisionist history count as lying? how about magical thinking,lies of omission, self delusion?

what about embracing what will help and heal and rejecting what will harm and hurt?

the truth can be tricky sometimes. this is certainly true for writers. my writing instructor says you have to tell the truth. you have to write it as you know it. you might decide not to share some of it, but to really write, you can't hide from what is real and true.

i am a very bad liar and i don't lie. my parents taught me that over and over. still, i think of intent, and sometimes that will shade and color what is right.

p.s. do you think annie told me i looked good when i really didn't? :)

Gberger said...

Thank you for posting this.

I admit that I have made people angry, at times, because I have told the truth (as I saw it). But it turned out that they weren't people I was safe being close to, anyway. It was a hard lesson, and it took more than one experience to learn it.
I am also learning that, while to know the truth is vitally important, it is not always wise to SPEAK the truth...particularly to those who do not wish to face it. But lying is not good, not at all.
You always give me wonderful food for thought, Renee. I love you!

Anonymous said...

To be so brave and fearless.
Love you Renee!

HUGE SOFT HUG!

Julie

Anonymous said...

True! And lying just builds and builds and builds until it implodes upon itself. (Or until I find out about it, whichever comes sooner!)

Jen said...

I so love this!

Lisa Lectura Creations said...

Hi Renee! Inspiring post! Words to live by indeed. Thanks so much for your sweet visit as always! And to answer your question- I'd be happy to create a customized banner for you and your granddaughter. Please email me or convo me through etsy for more details. Thanks!

Hugs,
Lisa :)

Silke Powers said...

Isn't that the truth! Dearest Renee, today as every day, I am holding your family in my heart!! Love you! Silke

mermaid said...

It's so true. One lie makes it easier to lie about so many other things. And in the end it hurts more than one could imagine.

Bella Sinclair said...

Hello, Renee. How are you today? Interesting quote, this one. Although I try to always be truthful, I feel that sometimes speaking the truth is a selfish thing that only serves to make yourself feel better while devastating another. I have to agree with Karen. You have to know when to speak the truth, and when to keep silent.

Here is a truth, though: I love you.

xoxo

Sarah said...

Thinking of you Renee xx

isay said...

hi again renee!

i like visiting your site and reading your posts but i may not be able to drop by as often----my loss---something came up.....i just want you to know that i will continue to pray for you and think about you. if you look at the sky you will see me smiling:-)

lovelots
Isay

drollgirl said...

truth can be painful, but it is better than being clueless or oblivious!

Unknown said...

ah... so true, although sometimes it can be so painful.
I prefer not saying anything, but that can be just as bad.
My husband's family is Italian, and they speak the truth with unconditional love, and it took me a while to feel comfortable in that.

Hoping the night brings beautiful restful dreams.

Silver said...

hi love! Just to let you know i am working now.. life getting more purposeful and i am lovin' it.

Always,

Silver loves Renee!!

Loni Edwards said...

Beautiful! I love this quote! I like the illustration too!

Debbie said...

Oh, that is so great. Now, if we could all achieve it!

xxx said...

I like this Renee, it's interesting.

Truth is something that we can debate, I think.
It changes with knowledge. It's a journey.

big love to you my wise and beautiful friend :)

xx Ribbon

Rosaria Williams said...

Good words to live by.

RNSANE said...

I like the comment made above that you might choose not to share the truth. I agree with that but I think it is certainly better not to lie!

The picture with today's quote is outstanding, dear Renee, just as you are!

Unknown said...

Words I have always tried to live by...ok except for a few white lies...like no mom I didnt eat that cake lol.

Love ya Lovey
xoxoxoxox

Ces Adorio said...

Ahem! I heard someone named Renee called someone really wonderful a "wimp"? Is that right?

studio lolo said...

The problem liars have is they have to remember their lies.
What an avalanche waiting to happen. Lies always catch up with you.


The truth shall set you free.


xoxoxox
Love you!

Anonymous said...

I just want to say Goodnight My dear friend of the heart....

and....

I love you~

Jos said...

I am a big fan of keeping quiet where the truth will hurt. And speaking gentle words of truth where the option of keeping quiet leads on to worse hurt. My mom and husband both tell me I am the worse liar they've ever known. High praise in my estimation.

Renee, each morning as I rise I know you should be asleep. So I pray that you are ... then I hold you in my heart as I pray for Daisy, Jacquie and the rest o your family. I start with you because I know you need your rest. I end with Daisy because the rosary takes time and I like the way it rounds of my prayer time. xx Jos

Ces Adorio said...

I really admire your candor. No stopping you from expressing yourself, is there? Goodnight sweetie!

Angie Muresan said...

I do tell a lie every now and then. I find them particularly useful when my daughter, who HATES bathing, won't quite down and go to sleep. I threaten her with a bath. Works every time, too.

Missed you Renee! Just got back from Hawaii today.

A.Smith said...

I taught the children that if they told me the truth I would go to the well for them. If they lied they will break my heart and my trust and neither are easier to repair once they are broken. I told them that instead of speaking the lie, to speak the silence. It is better to say "I cannot or I would not answer that right now because you deserve better but give me time to think what kind of reparation I can make for what I did wrong and then I will answer you tomorrow".

I always let chose their own punishment because I was the type of mother who would say in a moment of anger: "You are grounded until you are thirty two!"
My son still reminds me of that, so I don't believe a single lie is worth the torment of a guilty conscience. Mother used to say that the wounds one opens with the tongue are the ones that never truly heal. Amen to that.

And I am not lying even a bit when I tell you that I love you and I am thinking of you, Jacquie and your dear Mother every day and sending my heart in the wind so you all know how much I care about all of you. LALF.

nollyposh said...

<3

Eugen Caitaz said...

Hi Renee!!! I am totally agree with you. Lying is not our friend!

BT said...

A hard lesson to learn. I was rubbish at it for years. I hope I'm better now.

miruspeg said...

Such a difficult journey to follow Renee as we so often let truthfulness fall by the wayside.
Being true to ourselves is the hardest thing to achieve.
Much love
Peggy xxxxx

Some kind of courage. said...

lying only destroys..
It sure does.

Teri and her Stylish Adventure Cats said...

A lofty goal, but one to strive for, that's for sure. The picture reminds me of sparklers going off in your head, and not a good feeling...not sparkling thoughts but little explosions, not painful but confusing.

Bridgett said...

So very true....