WHY YOUR REPUTATION TAKES TIME TO REBUILD

My son, Braxton, who enjoys playing Xbox online, told me about several encounters with his online community of friends. He described disagreements that he reacted to with frustration and name calling. I said, "Braxton- not only are your friends going to be hurt by your comments, but they are going to tell their parents. And their parents will form an opinion of you- your REPUTATION. And once your reputation isn't good it takes time to rebuild and repair it."

Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com/Allmeeps

Our conversation brought back the time and effort it has taken me to do that very thing. Rebuild and repair. It is so easy to drift off on a detour from life. You get busy- preoccupied with your own self-interest and before you know it- you don't even recognize yourself. And your reputation speaks for itself.

But the sweat equity exerted into being authentic, consistent, and dependable is well worth to yourself and to others.

I told Braxton, "once you have been labeled one way it is like a sticker being put on. And after it has been on you for awhile and you try to peel it away... you know that aggravating residue that takes Goo Gone to get it off?... well, that takes effort. Over time you never even really know it was there."

And while some people may hold grudges- it is often because they have stickers they can't peel off their own self.