Take the 24-Hour Truth Challenge
Life can be hard, and we want to make it simpler. One of the easiest ways to do it is to lie or withold information (a sin of omission, if you will.) Lying gets us off the hook, or lets avoid tough conversations.
Each day is filled with pockets of little lies as we fudge the truth about being busy, about being late, about not being in the office, about not getting a message or email or about forgetting plans we made with someone. These little white lies, which have become de rigeur socially, can cause us to feel that it's OK to lie about bigger things too—whether it's in the boardroom or the bedroom. And then there are the lies we tell ourselves, about our weight, about hating our job, about being in the wrong relationship or about our mounting debt.
Though it may feel better to lie than to hurt someone’s feelings, Gary King (who speaks around the world about the power of truth) says “You are not here to protect people's feelings, you are here to help them learn and grow. There is no such thing as an inconsequential lie.” For example, in a relationship, if you are not telling the truth, you don’t have a relationship—you have an entanglement.
If it's uncomfortable to read all that, we understand. We do it too. So what can be done to disengage from that "tangled web we weave?"
Dare yourself to take The 24 Hour Truth Challenge. For one whole day, do not lie about anything. This also includes withholding information, by the way! So look for any little white lies, all the way to the stuff you are used to telling your colleagues, your family and yourself. And if a day is easy for you, try a week! You’ll soon see a pattern that will reveal who and what gets most of the lying energy. Is it you? Your spouse? Your friends? Your boss? This little exercise will create a big change in awareness. Try it and see what happens.
Learn more about honesty in Ariane’s book--The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Any Life Change. And after you've tried the challenge, share your experience with us by telling your story in the Shared Wisdoms section on our site—we want to know what you learn!
