No matter what your profession is, there are things you can say that will cost you. Speaking up against somebody’s pet project can get an individual passed over for promotion. Voicing a certain political viewpoint can cost you fans or endorsements. Challenging the status quo can bring a hail of critics and haters.

And in those situations, what should we do? The answer in my book is pretty simple: Speak the truth. Yes, howls may follow. Recriminations can as well. And? And what?

Here’s a rule of thumb worth remembering: If you see fraud and do not say ‘fraud,’ you are a fraud.

But lets broaden it a bit: If you know the truth and decline to speak the truth, you are not living truthfully.

If you know the truth, speak it. If you believe in a truth, live it. Even if it costs you. Even if it’s a pain in the ass. Because to do otherwise is to lie. To do otherwise is to be a coward. To do otherwise is to allow darkness to put out the light.

The truth matters. Prove it. Be the light.

By Brian Nadon

Vatic Foundation