I love a happy ending to a story. Maybe the cowboy rides off into the sunset, or they live happily ever after. As much as I like these types of endings, they do not represent real life. You might be thinking of not reading any more of the article is it already seems like a downer; however, I do have a reasonable point at the end.

I am not taking a fatalistic point of view about life; I am just pointing out that life is hard and has its ups and downs. As I have mentioned before, I have been an Astros fan most of my life. I patiently waited for decades for my good ending. Finally, in 2017 I had my happily ever after moment, the Astros won the World Series. No one could take this glorious achievement from me or my city. This World Series was in the books, and no matter what happened in the future, I could think back on the wonder of this amazing 2017 season. When the Astros were close but did not win the 2018 or 2019 World Series, I was not bothered much; I always had 2017.

When I first heard about the sign-stealing scandal, I knew it was the beginning of the end of the magical 2017 season. This epic sporting event that meant so much to me was tarnished. I have been around other baseball scandals, such as the steroid era. The steroid era was broad across all of baseball; the sign-stealing scandal hit right at the heart of my favorite team. This is the end of my innocence with the Astros. My current plan is to not follow the Astros in 2020. We will see how this goes; it will be hard to change the habit of a lifetime.

If I don’t follow the Astros, where will I put my sports energy this coming summer? I could focus on the Olympics or maybe that the plunge into WWE. I could simply find something productive to do during the vast number of hours I used to watch baseball.

Have you ever confronted an ethical dilemma at work? At my first job after college, my boss was in a hurry to order some electrical parts. He asked me to place the order. I told him I was waiting for a purchase order to be assigned. He said we don’t have time for a purchase order, just use one you already have. I knew this was wrong, but he was my boss. I pressed ahead and obeyed my boss’s request. Everything was fine for a few days; then I received a call from the division controller. This phone call was the first time I had really been forcefully corrected at work. This person did not hold back in their expletive-laced direction to never do this again.  I took the message to heart and never did anything like this again.

What do you do if your boss tells you to do something you know is wrong or unethical? This is a difficult question, especially for someone just starting their career. My take is, do not do anything wrong or unethical on the job. Sure, your career my be disrupted in the short term, but in the end, you will be glad you took the high road. First, based on my experience, unethical bosses do not stay around too long. Sometimes you have to wait out a bad or unethical boss. Their low regard for what is right will lead to their demise. If you take this path, be sure and document your decisions to remain above the fray. Second, even if you suffer in your job, including termination. You will be in a better place over time. Companies like to hire honest employees. Also, you avoid any potential prosecution. It is better to be honest and looking for work rather than unethical and heading for a bad ending.

Are you honest on the job? Integrity is something no one can take away from you. Integrity is also something that must be constantly guarded. When in doubt, take the high road!

Make the most of this day!