Let's Be Honest

We tell lies when we are afraid... afraid of what we don't know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us.  But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger.  ~Tad Williams

Recently I've been dealing with a bit of a broken heart. I won't go into detail, but I have to say, it kind of feels like I'm 15 again. I think what hurts the worst was being lied to by someone I thought so highly of. It wasn't necessarily what was said as much as it was what wasn't admitted. And now looking back at the situation, so much pain and bitterness could have been avoided had the truth just been told. I suppose this experience is all a part of life. We live and learn, and if you're anything like me, we're so stubborn that learning is always done the hard way!

I share this because it's relevant. We all lie. Ok, so maybe we don't all flat out tell untruths, but we are all guilty of not being totally honest. As a kid I had a VERY creative imagination, I think I lied so much that I believed myself most of the time. As I've gotten older, life has shown me that it's ALWAYS better to just be honest, even when it hurts. Integrity is one of those things that once you ruin it, you can never fully redeem yourself. But what I think is worse than being dishonest with others is being dishonest with ourselves. Take a moment to think about that. Are you really honest with yourself?

When I try to do the right thing, I am my biggest stumbling block. I like to minimize my faults, justify my mistakes, and ignore the things that my pride refuses to acknowledge. But, let's be honest, if I'm having the same issues with several different people, there's a good chance I AM THE COMMON DENOMINATOR. If I can't lose that last 10 pounds because I'm a stress eater, but I refuse to accept that I bring the stress on myself, I'll never acheive my weight loss goals. How can I better myself if I can't own the things that need to be changed? Part of my overall mind, body, and spirit wellness includes my relationships with other people. It's so much easier to reach my goals in life when I have a clear conscience. So here's another challenge for you. Get honest with yourself. Think about how you contribute to your problems. What do you need to change to improve your situation? Do you need to swallow some pride and make some things right? You'll never be where you want to be until you stop avoiding the truth.