If you want to buy a house, conventional wisdom says that you need to focus on three words — location, location, location. At the same time, if you want to lead a productive and meaningful life, three amazing words can change your life — do what’s right.

Do you:

• Live with honor and integrity?
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect?
• Remain true to yourself and your values?
• Make a positive difference in people’s lives?
• Accept responsibility for your actions?

Even though it’s admirable to do what’s right, many people don’t believe it’s beneficial to them — so they don’t try. Unfortunately, they miss the whole point.

While doing what’s right is good for others, it’s also good for you.

Amazing Benefits of Doing What’s Right

There are three amazing ways to profit from being a good person. First, according to Socrates, virtue is its own reward. Second, when you do what’s right you steer clear of all the emotional baggage that comes from living dishonorably. Third, when you live a virtuous life, you’ll feel proud of who you are and the way you choose to live. Let’s look at these points in greater detail:

Virtue is its own reward. Did you ever do something kind and the recipient asked how they could return the favor? Knowing that you made a difference in someone’s life is its own reward. As Brian Tracy, the motivational speaker, said, “Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting.”

While takers may accumulate a lot of things in life, they’ll never experience the true joy of being a giver.

Enhance your personal standing. When you live with high moral standards, folks will view you as decent, honest, and caring. The trust that you engender will decrease the need to look over your shoulder or second-guess your intentions.

This will enhance your relationships, add to your credibility, and strengthen your reputation — which will do wonders for your career. It’ll set you, or your organization, apart from others and your image will serve as a magnet for exciting new opportunities. In other words, do things for the right reasons and the money will follow. Unfortunately, the converse is also true. Dishonorable people — strictly out for personal gain — spend valuable time keeping their stories straight, defending their actions, and covering their behind. In short, immoral behavior can cripple personal and business relationships, strip the muscle from powerful leaders, and crush the aspirations of our best and brightest people.

If you think you can bluff your way through life,
you’ve got something coming.

Strengthen your self-esteem. While you may be able to deceive others, you’ll never fool yourself. Upstanding people who do what’s right feel good about themselves. They can take great pride in knowing that they live a life of honor and integrity and are making a positive difference in the world. On the other hand, unprincipled people pay the penalty by having to carry emotional baggage. They live with guilt, shame, fear, self-doubt, anxiety, and stress.

A life of honor offers abundant rewards;
a life of dishonor comes at a very steep price.

The Wrong Way to Do What’s Right

Some folks and organizations are compelled to give back to society. They shouldn’t be forced into giving back to the world but should do so voluntarily. Consequently, instead of following their heart, they do stuff in a half-hearted way. In fact, if they had their druthers, they’d go back to their old way of doing things — and they look for every opportunity to do so. Secondly, some people and organizations do things merely to improve their image. If they think folks don’t see virtue signaling for what it is, they’re sadly mistaken.

Some of the people who brag the most, do the least.

Being a good person or organization isn’t about doing any one thing — as much as it’s doing everything — the right way. Do you do what’s right or what’s convenient? Do you listen to your conscience or do what’s popular? Do you consider others or think only of yourself? If your thoughts, intentions, and deeds are heartfelt and beneficial to others, you will produce good karma. The converse holds true for negative behavior. In conclusion, don’t do things because it’s beneficial for you. Do what’s right because it’s the right thing to do.

Check out Frank’s new book, The Path to a Meaningful Life.

Do You Subscribe to These Amazing 3 Words ?

Please leave a comment and tell us what you think or share it with someone who can benefit from the information.

Additional Reading:
Why Self-Discipline Should Matter to You
Never Lower Your Personal Standards. Never!
Honor Yourself: Live With Integrity
Will You Choose the Right Path?
Does It Pay to Be Ethical?
Do You Choose Convenience Over Principles?
Are You Blurring the Difference Between Right and Wrong?

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