Lying and misleading others has become an epidemic and almost normal. Are the benefits of not telling the truth out weighing the possibility of getting caught and punished for it? What about exaggerations and white lies? Surely, they can’t hurt anyone, right? But, do we ever completely escape the consequences for not telling the truth?
Not Telling the Truth…
1 Causes fear of being found out. Whether we are consciously aware of it or not, every lie, no matter how small, puts us on guard. And they add up.
2 Lowers our self-esteem a notch every time we do it. How can we be a person we admire when we are afraid to acknowledge the truth?
3 Makes it difficult to have deep meaningful relationships. Close relationships are built on honesty, and disclosure.
4 Is a short-term fix. Not being honest eventually affects other parts of our life, such as our health, career, finances, relationships, and most of all, our ability to be happy.
5 Like attracts like. If we practice misleading others, we will find that others are misleading us.
Here’s the funny thing. There are ways to be honest that escape punishment altogether, give you more benefits than you can imagine, and don’t hurt anyone in anyway—including you.
Visit the entire Overcoming Fear section.
If you need help with keeping secrets, contact Vickie Champion for a coaching and consulting session.