Our lives are comprised of billions of actions. How we choose to act colours the quality of our life and experiences.
The sixth of the 16 Guidelines For Life — honesty
— helps us to rest in ourselves and deepens our relationships.
“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act,” says author George Orwell.
Yoga teacher Mark Smichaud of Redding, Conn., says he quit his last job because “I kept having to compromise myself, saying things that were half truths. We give up a part of ourselves doing that. (Honesty is) people being true to themselves and other people.”
On the other hand, he adds: “Hurting someone with honesty doesn’t help anyone really. People can be honest and still say things in a soft way.”
Blake Bliss, 26, is a Dundas musician and youth worker who started a foundation called Compassion and Peace. It helps kids with drug addictions or problems at home so they can be proactive in their life instead of harming themselves.
“You have to be really honest with youth,” says Bliss. “Most will pinpoint you not coming from a place of truth. You have to relate with what they are going through, not talking at them or down to them, but from compassion.
“When I am straight with them and telling them an action is wrong, it may cause them some suffering, but it demonstrates that you really care and are not lying just to avoid confrontation. They respect this.”
Try this: Is there anything that is niggling you? Is there a situation in which you exaggerated or misrepresented yourself or your finances? Be honest with yourself so that you can be honest with someone else.
Dekyi-Lee Oldershaw, director of The Centre for Compassion and Wisdom in Burlington, is coauthor of 16 Guidelines For Life, available at website centreforcompassionandwisdom.com.
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