Liar Liar Pants on Fire??

We all lie. 

Not intentionally most of the time but sometimes we lie to make things easier for ourselves and others.  “Sorry I got stuck in traffic” is a white lie when in reality you were just slow out the door.  Or maybe someone compliments you and you don’t believe them, that’s really saying that they are lying and you place no value on what they say.  But you know even white lies hurt you, your self esteem and your integrity.  Lies are a lost opportunity to connect with someone, to speak your truth, and to trust another.  It’s often the feelings of guilt that tell you to lie.  “Oh I can’t say I was slow getting ready I’ll just stay I got stuck in traffic” is an excuse.  Rather than tell the truth we lie because we feel guilty.  Why not just say “I’m sorry I’m late” rather than create a lie.  How often have you heard it say that people would rather know the truth than be lied to? 

Why Lie? 
Sometimes we lie because we want to please others, don’t want to hurt others feelings, put them on the spot or lie about what we want because it might create conflict.  We tell lies so that we will be loved, and tell lies so no one knows we need love. Sometimes we exaggerate situations to feel important or to have a more interesting life.  For instance “My husband gives me breakfast in bed every morning”, while it’s actually just at the weekend.  

Impact: 
Lying just seems to be easier sometimes than telling the truth but at what cost?  Let’s be honest being truthful can be scary. However lies tend to feed our fears and strip our confidence.  Lies can create a gap between you and the person you lie to.  The lie may be on your mind, you’re not quite as relaxed as you might be and therefore won’t be as connected.  Lies are really saying that you don’t believe in yourself enough, you don’t believe in your own self worth.

Your Truth:
If you want to keep growing as a human being then share your truth.  Do you want to be someone who defends and protects everyone else or do you want to be true to yourself?  Let’s also be clear that being honest is not about destroying someone else with your personal opinion.  And if you don’t want to tell someone something then you don’t have to, say “Thank you for asking but I don’t want to talk about it right now”.

Try This:
List five situations you have avoided telling the truth.

What did you do to avoid or deny the situation? Smile? Cry?  Blame others?  Make a joke?  Walk away?

No Lie Week:
Start tomorrow and try a no lie week.  For one week let no lie pass your lips not even some excuse for why you’re late!