Honesty is a fundamental principle that most of us have been taught from a young age. We are told that honesty is the best policy and that we should always tell the truth.
However, despite this, many of us still struggle with being honest with ourselves. We pretend that everything is fine, when sometimes it isn’t. We do this to protect our ego or social status, even when it starts to create a personal or social cost to ourselves.
Living dishonestly with ourselves can disconnect us from ourselves and others. We might not even realise that we are not being honest with ourselves until we experience negative emotions like anxiety, anger, or sadness. These emotions are a sign that we are not living the way we want to live or being true to ourselves. They may attach themselves to small arguments or irritations that are merely a symptom of a deeper need for change.
It takes courage to be honest with ourselves. Being honest with ourselves means being willing to upset someone else, letting go of certainty, embracing the unknown and making new choices that disrupt the status quo. However, if we truly want to be proud of ourselves, we need to be true to ourselves. If we want to be the best leader, be part of a great team, or run an outstanding business, it all starts with being honest with ourselves.
Being honest with ourselves doesn’t mean having all the answers. The first step is to acknowledge that feelings of anger, frustration, sadness, or anxiety keep coming back and that something isn’t right. It’s time to be honest with ourselves that something needs to change.
Here are a few reasons why being honest with yourself is essential:
- Honesty creates self-awareness:
When we are honest with ourselves, we become more self-aware. We start to understand our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours more clearly. We can identify our strengths and weaknesses and work on improving them. Self-awareness is essential for personal growth, and it starts with being honest with ourselves.
- Honesty leads to better decision-making:
When we are honest with ourselves, we make better decisions. We can evaluate situations objectively and make choices that align with our values and goals. Honesty helps us avoid making decisions based on fear, ego, or societal pressure.
- Honesty builds trust:
When we are honest with ourselves, we build trust with ourselves and others. When we are truthful about our thoughts, feelings, and actions, we create a foundation of trust that others can rely on. Honesty is essential for building healthy relationships, both personally and professionally.
- Honesty promotes personal growth:
When we are honest with ourselves, we open ourselves up to personal growth. We can identify areas where we need to improve and work on developing new skills and habits. Honesty helps us take responsibility for our lives and empowers us to make positive changes.
Get Honest – Tip:
Being more honest with yourself helps you become more fearless, gain clarity, increase self-reliance and build healthier relationships.
The first step is to do some honest self-reflection. To simply acknowledge to yourself that something is wrong. As we say in the world of psychotherapy – what we resist persists. If we keep pushing away challenging emotions, they will keep coming back stronger and stronger. So, do you have difficult feelings that won’t go away? What are those feelings and what patterns or behaviours tell you when they are present? Remember this is personal to you. Just because a situation is ok for someone else doesn’t mean it should be ok for you.
Get honest, live from the heart, stop hiding your true feelings and get some headspace – so you can live and lead as you truly want to. Remember you are already amazing – and…you will be an even more incredible, impactful and inspirational 4D humanbeing and leader when you start – from the heart.
Love
the 4D Team x