by Jack Ross
via Daily Burst
Honesty -- it’s the best policy - and for good reason.
As Abraham Lincoln put it, “No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar.”
When you live an honest life like Abe, you simply live better -- there are no stories to maintain, no walls to put up, no spending energy needlessly.
So try keeping your side of the street clear of embellishments and exaggerations today -- and give yourself the privilege of living in your truth.
Why?
Because the benefits are great: honest living lessens stress, deepens personal relationships, encourages emotional and physical wellness - and just makes life a whole helluva lot simpler.
So - how do we actually live more honestly today?
Well, there’s the tricky part.
For one, it starts with being honest with one person above all -- ourselves.
Easier said than done, sure, but something worth striving for in each moment as we make sense of our thoughts, feelings and experiences - seeing things arise, noting them to be true - and moving on to the next thing.
Connecting with ourselves helps us connect with others. Think of intimacy as “into me you see” - and being honest makes that possible.
Honesty, of course, can be freaking confusing -- because, no, it doesn’t mean you go around telling everyone you love everything on your mind - or yell at the dude taking for-ev-er to finish his coffee order.
Instead, living honestly today means sharing your opinion when asked, and more importantly, living your truth. It means saying “No” when you normally say “Yes” -- which can be harder than anything.
And it means setting the intention to live honestly - remembering that in many respects, we are perfect - and there’s always room for improvement.
So just for today, set your intention, start with yourself - and build from there.
Honest living is well worth it, so give it your best shot and see the benefits for yourself.