It’s Just a Lie in Better Shoes

We have just gotten home from our time in Japan, and jet lag is indeed well named. I am lagging a bit in energy and yet am glad to be back to this blog. It is amazing what happens when we let our habits slide. Those habits somehow tug at our thoughts to remind us that they are habits for a reason.

I have been reminded recently about the power of honesty. Being true to our word, acting in accordance with what we value AND telling the truth no matter how painful or embarrassing it might be. In a conversation with someone I had to “call” their bluff. They finagled a story and I could tell in their eyes they were not convinced that I was convinced, so they kept talking which is always a bad sign. I was kind and reminded them that no matter what the truth is, it always the best path. Tell the truth and you don’t have to have a good memory…no need to remember what you lied about to be able to keep up that cover story.

I am reminded of this in my own life as I get back to life as usual. Vacations give us the gift of time to relax, rest, get distracted by new and different things AND forget what burdens we carry each and everyday. No bills to pay and no household responsibilities to fret over…just quiet, fun, and adventures. Then you get home and BAM! real life is back in full throttle. Time to pony up and make those calls, pay those bills, organize and reorganize your world. Time to stop bluffing your way through it and hunker down. Suddenly vacation seems farther away than just two days ago.

Good news is when we live our lives in truth and don’t bluff our way through things we don’t have to stumble over stories we told and forgot, and now have to cover up again. Our lies are not always to others, sometimes our worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves. We bluff and know we did, yet we do it to avoid the truth of it all. And yes, that bluff does make use stumble even if no one else ever sees our missed step. That bluff tears at our self confidence and leaves us feeling less than the best version of ourselves. I had a brilliant Mentor who told me he grew his life and career by not doing things that made him feel bad about himself…like bluffing.

Time to stop bluffing and give ourselves the gift of truth. It may sting, yet it is the truth. And facing the truth is easier than the gnawing, nagging pain of a bluff, which is really a lie in better shoes.