Honesty
Honesty, both in speaking and listening, is the expression of an aspiration for inward and outward growth as a fully realized life.
The path of honesty entails listening to your highest self, expressing your life in congruence with your highest self, and opening yourself to life’s possibilities. It is a life embracing path of courage and integrity.
Speaking and acknowledging the truth of who we are and where we should be empowers us with the clarity, wisdom, courage and grace of our highest selves.
Honesty Practice
The first exercise develops your awareness of when you speak your truth.
- Feel that feeling of fortification that speaking the truth provides.
- Recognize the feeling of feeling diminished when not speaking the truth.
Through this practice, you will learn to distinguish between your truth and a “convenient lie” you’ve convinced yourself of.
Your truth is what you have a honest and heartfelt belief in. It could be factually wrong. But it is your truth.
Learn to recognize that positive feeling when you said what you believe, even if it’s something little, like what is your favorite movie. That is the affirming feeling of your genuine self being heard.
Now that you have an awareness of what is honesty, you will practice speaking in congruence with your highest self.
- When you notice feeling diminished by holding back on speaking the truth, stop the convenient lie.
- Speak your truth.
- Know that it’s okay if you are wrong.
- Know that it’s okay if people disagree.
- Know that speaking honestly builds the courage for your highest self to manifest.
Listening honestly is listening in the manner of having a meaningful and honest discussion of differences in perception.
- Listen to others as you would like yourself to be heard.
- Know that they can be factually wrong.
- Know that they can be in disagreement with you.
- Know that allowing them to speak their truth gives them the grace to develop their courage and grow.
- Know that listening honestly builds trust and transforms resentment.
Reflection
Having practiced honesty, you will feel more yourself. And in feeling more yourself, you will be confident and capable of allowing others to be themselves.
Congratulations! You are moving closer to being your highest yourself.
Be so unabashedly yourself that others feel comfortable to be their true selves around you.
Take a moment to appreciate the journey you’ve taken thus far. With the awareness and courage you gained, you have began to transform yourself and the world around you. You are becoming your best self who will thrive with the next guiding principle, charity.