"Be honest to yourself about what's really important to you in your life. You may find that it is already much closer than you think." - Ruben Chavez
The morning assembly at my Primary School was like a mini lecture. Whether or not we were ready to learn, we were made ready. It was a spark that prepared us for the day ahead. And the then Head Mistress was always teaching one thing or the other during the assembly, most of which we, the students, had forgotten before the first break period. Either she did not know that, or she just continued regardless.
The first time I heard 'Honesty is the best policy' was in Primary School, during the morning assembly. And the only explanation I understood was that I should always tell the truth. I thought it was only about telling the truth to people so as a child, I tried my best to be truthful to people. I think that was the same thing my sister understood too as she took truth-telling to a whole new level. She said whatever was on her mind, and had to be stopped sometimes when she started talking.
Personally, I was not a chatty person as a child so I was rarely asked questions, both at home and at school. But I knew to tell the truth whenever I was asked a question. And as I grew older, I began to face situations that required me to talk to myself, to evaluate my thoughts and actions. I began to see and learn that the truth is not just for others, it is for me too. But that realization did not make it easier for me to be truthful with myself. On the contrary, I faced challenges that I had to deal with.
A friend once said that saying the truth is not as hard as being truthful. There is so much truth in that. It is easy to say the truth about an issue than being truthful about every area of your life to not just others, by yourself. This is what a lifestyle of honesty is. It takes a lot of courage to begin living that way. But once begun, life becomes less stressful. Living a life of honesty simplifies decision-making as you know the truth, can easily ascertain what is important and needs to be focused on, how you feel about things, and the things that are just a waste of time.
But we sometimes let the romantic images, imaginations, or illusions of a situation cloud the truth, making it hard for us to be honest with ourselves and to make certain decisions. This has led people to make certain decisions that turned out terrible, while some have chased dreams that were utopian at best. Some have, relying on those imaginations, gone after things that they thought mattered without realizing that what really mattered had been before them all along.
Living honestly, truthfully requires a lot of devotion and understanding of what is important and what is not. This is the reason why some people create problems that were not there, chase after realities that are a waste of time or not for them. Even in career life and business, some people have gone after things they did not need, or set goals that they were not ready for, because they did not take the time to be honest with themselves.
It is necessary to be honest with ourselves about what is important to us so that we don't get pushed around to do things that are only important for others. Periodic evaluation of what is truly important to you can go a long way to helping you live a better, successful, and productive life. It might take just seconds or minutes of your time daily, an hour a week, or whatever works for you. But being honest with yourself about where you are in life, what you want for yourself and those around you in the future can help you focus on what matters and eliminate the unnecessaries.
Live honestly with yourself...simplify your life.
Have a great Friday!
- The Lady
“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
Ephesians 3:19
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