Don’t.
(I was going to make that one word the entire post, but perhaps I should explain a bit.)
I was thinking about a couple that Jodi (my wife) and I met a few years ago. The woman was an amazing oil painter. We loved her uniquely stylized realism, which we thought had the potential to appeal to a wide audience. Her husband also felt that she could be very successful–both artistically and commercially–and asked us for suggestions about how to market her work.
At the time, Jodi and I were selling our original journals through an online wholesale company, which we recommended to them. Although the site was juried, we didn’t think she’d have any problem being accepted. Aside from talent (which she had in spades), the only other requirement was that the artists sell their work in at least two stores. With her skill, we figured that she could probably walk down the street, bring her paintings into the first two stores she saw, and have customers within minutes.
Her husband, however, seemed to have a different approach: He was determined to beat the system.
“What about your uncle?” he asked his wife. “He would probably say that he sells your paintings at his restaurant.” He thought for another moment before asking, “Who else do we know who would vouch for us?”
As the husband and wife mulled over this problem, Jodi and I sat in dumbfounded silence, both of us thinking the same thing: Are you KIDDING? Wouldn’t it be easier (not to mention honest!) to actually get your paintings into two stores?
They could even follow through with the lie they were concocting: to sell the paintings in her uncle’s restaurant (thereby making it not a lie!). Wouldn’t that be a great arrangement? She would have a legitimate wholesale customer, her uncle would have beautiful decorations, and his customers could enjoy the paintings for free–and if someone bought one, they’d get a great piece of original work, the artist would make money, and the uncle would get a commission. You can’t get much more win-win-win than that! Why on earth would they be trying to find a shortcut around this?
The situation reminded me of a ludicrous scene in one of my favorite novels (David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest), in which students cheat on their term papers by copying from other papers. Rather than saving time, however, they spend many hours making enough changes–and even inserting some intentional errors–so as not to arouse suspicion of copying (oftentimes, at the expense of a letter grade or two). They end up spending far more time and effort concealing their subterfuge than it would have taken to simply write an honest, original paper!
The students in the novel are meant to be ridiculous (and fictitious), but the painter and her husband were for real–and they took themselves entirely seriously. Furthermore, this seemed to be not just an isolated incident, but an approach to life in general–as suggested by the fact that they didn’t bat an eye or miss a beat before breaking into their discussion about how to get around the company’s (seemingly very reasonable) requirement.
Despite the painter’s talent and her husband’s support, we began to seriously doubt that they would ever make a living through her art–at least not as long as they maintained this beat-the-system approach.
Now, the point of me telling this story is certainly not to criticize this couple. Despite their, um…different approach to business, they’d been nothing but good, supportive, and kind to us–welcoming us into their home, complimenting our work, and going out of their way to help us on a number of occasions. We didn’t think they were bad people, and we honestly did (and still do) wish them success.
Nor do I plan to give a tedious (and obvious) mini-lecture about the virtues of honesty and integrity in business and in life.
I merely want to point out that oftentimes, what might look like a shortcut is actually a “longcut”! Even if we set aside all other concerns (integrity, etc.) and just ask what’s easiest for you–the answer generally is: do things the right way. Build a solid foundation. Don’t cut corners or try to weasel your way out of things. (With all due respect to Homer Simpson’s classic advice: “Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It’s what separates us from the animals…except the weasel.”)
Believe me, I love a shortcut as much as the next guy. I’m always looking for ways to be more efficient, to find a straighter line between where I am and where I want to go. And this is exactly why I encourage you not to pursue beat-the-system schemes that are likely to create far more work, hassle, and worry for you! (You don’t want to spend even a moment thinking, “I hope they don’t check up on my story, or I’m in trouble”–if anything, you want to think, “If they do check up on me, it’ll just reinforce that I’m legit–exactly the way I presented myself.”)
As much as we free-thinking artistic types love to question authority (a practice that I wholeheartedly endorse), systems are generally in place for a reason–and not just to make you pointlessly jump through hoops or to cause bureaucratic headaches. In the case of the wholesale site, they want to make sure that the artists are legit–and to maintain their site’s high quality and reputation (which helps ALL the artists on the site–as well as the stores who buy from them).
Whether it’s in business, relationships, or any other aspect of life, the best approach is: instead of pretending to be someone you’re not, actually be that person! By doing this, you’ll build self-esteem, exude confidence, and inspire a well-deserved trust.
I know that this approach doesn’t sound as sexy as the maverick rebel, sticking it to “The Man” and skirting a maze of pointless red tape, but trust me: doing things the right way will save you time, effort, and headaches–and help you build a solid foundation for long-term success.
And that’s all I ever wanted–for that talented painter and for all of us.
…
P.S. Registration is now open for our new ecourse, 28 Days of Joy. If you’re ready to bring more joy into your life, please join me, Jodi, and many others as we spread the joy!
Monthly Special: You can sign up all month long for just $28! (Reduced from $47!)
I really like this post. Thank you for writing it.
I think it is very important to emphasize “the virtues of honesty and integrity in business and in life”. I feel like people don’t realize the long-term importance of it, because “beating the system” seems to pay off right away. Just like procrastination does. 🙂 Both can be devastating in the long run.
A while back a friend gave me a book “Diamond cutter”. It draws on the Buddhist teachings to explain how our actions plant seeds, which then manifest as events in our lives. This book beautifully illustrated the folk wisdom “What you sow is what you reap.” It made so much sense when the author explained why some people are not achieving a lot of success even though on the outside it looks like they should be doing great.
I am now convinced that it is always worthwhile to do the things “the right way”, even if it seems harder, because in the long run, the effort that you put into it and the knowledge that you gained in the process will pay off (one way or another).
Keep your wonderful work of helping people become a better versions of themselves.
Thank you so much, Teri. I’m so glad that you enjoyed this post and that the message resonated with you. We definitely seem to see eye-to-eye on this matter.
I love the metaphor you mention–that actions “plant seeds.” I once had a life coach tell me, “Thoughts are like seeds. Do you want flowers or weeds?” True for thoughts, true for actions!
I also like that metaphor in the sense that it gives me hope–even if I can’t yet see the fruition of my positive thoughts and actions, I think of them like seeds, growing roots underground and starting to sprout upwards. When they do rise above the surface, they’ll be rooted firmly.
To carry the metaphor a step further: Thank you for “watering” me with your nourishing compliment and appreciation. That’s definitely a big boost in helping people become “better versions of themselves,” as you so eloquently put it. Thanks for being part of this process.
All the best,
Dan
You know, Dan, this is exactly the line of thought I was just on about marriage.
It seems most people are more interested in aesthetics than experience. Let us make our wedding LOOK LIKE we had a good time (and looked good), rather than have it be a communal bonding experience of generating powerful and passionate energy together.
This happens, too, in poor areas and crappy jobs. People will buy expensive clothes and purses with the little bit of money they have to… prove their status to people who make just as much as them. They settle for “looking” successful rather than pursuing success.
There is really more value placed on aethetics in our culture and, thus, most people never really find solutions to their problems. Only quick fix after quick fix. If only we all knew how powerful we really are. We would never need to pretend anymore.
You can start off with a pure seed, nourish it, care for it and watch it flourish. You can get that seedling up and then it can “damp of,” as they say. Young seedlings are very sensitive to watering amounts and I have lost more than a few seedlings this way. What is required is careful watching of this new baby plant and the right amount of nourishment……too much water will kill the seedling and so will too little. There is no short cut. Things break ground when the time is correct. Dishonesty is a form of not being…..in tune with nature, and thus God and the universe. Dishonesty is a spiritual toxin. It is hurtful to both the self and others and is a seed itself, one I try and keep out of my garden. It makes life so much easier to just live clean.
Certified Master Gardener