“To take up great resolutions, and then to lay them aside, only ends in dishonor."

“To take up great resolutions, and then to lay them aside, only ends in dishonor.”- King Olaf Trygvisson's Saga, CH. 9

How are those New Year’s Resolutions coming?

That promise to be “beach-ready”?

This month’s diet?

Last week’s fitness plans?

“I’m gonna learn Spanish!”

That causal “Not tonight, I’ll read you a story tomorrow”?

Our words are not merely the expulsion of gases mirrored at the other end of our torsos.

Words have distinct recognized meanings.

If we are to take any human seriously we must assume that the gases they emanate correlate with reality and truth as they see it.

Any mismatch between the words emanated and the actions that do or do not ensue is, in short, a lie.

The lie can be as grand as “I did not have sex with that woman” or as less-center-stage as “I’ll meet you at noon” [even though you are habitually late.]

Large or small, untruths are untruths. Lies are lies no matter who you tell them to, yourself included.

When we lay aside our words, we lay aside the honoring of our words, which means we lay aside our honor itself. It shows the value we place upon our own veracity, our own sense of honor.

If we do not take our own words seriously, why should anyone else treat our wordy gases as bonds, as pacts, as truthful?

Dishonoring others with lies large or small speaks to character.

Dishonoring the self with lies large or small speaks to our souls.

„Segðu hvað þú átt við. Gerðu það sem þú segir. Tala sannleikann og láttu aldrei heiðra þína.“

“Say what you mean. Do what you say. Speak the truth and never lay aside your honor.”