According to Wikipedia, honesty refers to "a facet of moral character and connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness and straightforwardness, including straightforwardness of conduct, along with the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc." Furthermore, honesty means being trustworthy, loyal, fair and sincere. At Partners Advocating Character Education (PACE), the definition for this month's character trait of the month, honesty, is easily defined as "sincerity and reverence or love for the truth."

Why is honesty so important? That answer seems easy, right? Being honest is the right thing to do. We have all heard the famous Benjamin Franklin saying, "Honesty is the best policy." By being honest in our lives, we build trustworthiness and integrity with our family, friends, co-workers, etc. We even hold ourselves accountable. 

In the mortgage industry, honesty is sought after in many ways. Whether it is a loan officer applying or renewing their professional licenses, or a borrower completing a loan application, there are laws and regulations to punish dishonesty. Loan officers are trained to recognize possible dishonesty and ask questions to uncover a reason to be concerned with an applicant or not. The Federal Trade Commission implemented the Red Flags Rule which requires many businesses and organizations to implement a written Identity Theft Prevention Program designed to detect the warning signs - or red flags - of identity theft in their day-to-day operations. 

As a parent, honesty becomes even more important as raising children who are honest is vital to shaping their character and setting them up for success. Trust is the foundation of a strong family, and trust is built from consistent honesty. Relationships survive on each person being honest to each other. 

Have you ever been dishonest for personal gain only for that poor decision to come back around to bite you? These experiences in life are humbling, right? We are reminded how important being honest 100 percent of the time is as it paves the way for stronger relationships, personal and professional. 

How do we do our part to build honesty in our community? That answer is easy - be honest. Support organizations that place value on educating and supporting the same. PACE is a grassroots Spokane Valley initiative to promote the importance of good character through partnerships with schools, businesses, public agencies, residents, faith-based organizations and community service groups. Working from a common list of monthly character traits, partners promote and integrate each trait into the regular activities of the organization. Consider supporting PACE by becoming a partner or friend of PACE.