Get Honest!

I think all people agree with the concept of being honest. It is a universal truth. Yet it has been my experience that people are not always honest with themselves. Yet being honest with yourself and even better, being honest with God leads to a certain sense of relief. It’s like you are finally back to your own self. If you really want to get help with your issues, honesty is the best approach. When you finally get honest you remove all the shrouds and covers carefully arranged for self defense. You let go of the need to be something you are not and also find the freedom to be who you really are. We all perhaps have a tendency to role play. The world demands it. Yet, it never works to not be honest with yourself. Being honest allows you to get specific about getting your needs met. Being honest admits you need help. Being honest enhances your relationship with God who knows all and sees all. Don’t you think it’s time to get honest?

Maybe the real question is what stops us from getting honest? Is there something we are trying not to face? It’s like admitting you don’t know something. It is okay to not know something. Even the things we think we know, we don’t really know at all. Yet onward we trudge at times, not getting results but refusing to switch up our game. It appears to be the human condition. Getting honest allows us the freedom to not know. When we finally arrive at that conclusion, we are on our way to getting the help that we need. We can reach upward instead of inward. We c an admit we don’t know what to do or where to go. Our failure to do so leads to an endless shell game we are playing with ourselves. We already know where to look but we think we can’t bear it. So forward we go with unmet needs getting mad at God and everyone else as well. There’s a certain futility in lying to yourself because you already know. Getting honest isn’t about getting other people to do things. It’s about speaking up concerning what you need. It’s about saying what you stopped saying. A caution however. Getting honest does not mean picking yourself apart. There’s no point in getting honest about your flaws. They show up daily with or without your help. Being all critical and judgmental about self is a deception brought on by things outside of you. Things that don’t want you to be honest. Things that make problems not solve them. The great honesty of the soul is to be yourself. Accept yourself. Love yourself.

It’s no wonder we have unmet needs when we cannot even identify what it is that we want. Think about that one for a moment. What do you really, really want? What kind of work should you do? Would you look how you look? Would you do the things you do for pleasure or do you acquiesce to someone else’s pleasure? Getting honest means getting back to what you want out of life. What stuff turns you on inside? What are you trying so hard not to be? Honesty with yourself hurts no one, but not being honest with yourself hurts you. You devalue yourself. You wrongly conclude what you want doesn’t matter. So you get busy wanting what other people want which will never satisfy you. I think we all know by now that money doesn’t solve everything, but it sure solves some things. Part of being honest with yourself is to admit to yourself what you need to live abundantly, not what you need to survive. Who would that favor be for? The sky is the limit with your life, but you have to believe for it. Getting honest is also about setting your priorities to those things that matter most. Then invest your time and energy there. Getting honest is about taking back your life. It’s about recovering that which has been stolen from you. But, somewhere along the line you have to admit it to yourself and it’s okay. We have all been mauled and assaulted in different capacities in our ignorance. We have all been a victim at times as much as we don’t like to admit it. We have all lost our way on occasion. We all still have certain dreams in our hearts. We all wish some things were different. Every single one of us. Getting honest is about acknowledging a thing and then asking for help. When you act as if none of this applies to you then chances are you aren’t being honest either. It takes courage to see what is, instead of what you want it to be. When we see things for what they are we can do something about it. We get clear about what we want and cleave to it. We hold fast to the good instead of working hard to avoid the bad. We are all crystal clear about what we don’t want. But how many are clear about what they do want? The folks who are crystal clear likely already live in that reality. Get honest and change your reality.

An interesting facet to this discussion is that we all already know what it means to get honest. We don’t need to be taught it. Just the thought of doing it warms us up a little. It causes a flame to flicker inside. That flicker, that flame is you. It’s the real you seeking expression. It is the uncut version. It is the version of you that you have been hiding from the world. It is the authentic self. It is the you that is you when no one else is watching. It is how you present yourself to God. No topic is off limits nor is there anything you cannot discuss. God is not judging you. God is not upset with you. God is not behind anything that has gone awry. Instead He is a Father to His children and there is nothing He cannot help you fix. The thought of getting honest with myself and no one to get help from makes me shudder. You get honest with yourself so you can be clear about what you want and need. Then you seek God’s help for your life. You aren’t going to surprise God with your foolishness. Instead God is surprised that you didn’t discuss these things with Him sooner. What a relief it is to know it’s okay to not be okay. What a relief it is to not have to figure everything out on your own. What a relief it is to just be honest with yourself.

The perfect time to get honest with yourself is right now. It’s like running a business. You have to pay attention to those things that take away your profit. Ignoring those things would lead to financial ruin. You have to be willing to take inventory; to take stock. Look at what is and do something about it. You aren’t getting any younger and neither am I. We are not on this earth to survive the experience. We are here to live abundantly; yes more than abundantly. There are highs and blessings to experience that we have not yet experienced. There’s love to be found. There is joy to revel in. Stop limiting your life by posing and playing a role. Be true, be honest and work from there. But, be kind and patient with yourself. Have compassion concerning your humanity. You’re an imperfect creature seeking help from a perfect God. The combination works best when you are being yourself. Get honest and settle down there. God loves you anyway and so do I…

Just some good thoughts…