Try Honesty

Everybody talks about how growing up means building a career, taking charge, being independent, learning lessons and meeting new people. 

But I have hardly ever heard someone talking about how important it is, while growing up, to learn to be honest : Honest about what you want, what you need, what you think and what you feel. About who you are! In the hustle and the rat race, we tend to almost forget how important it is to be honest with oneself and others as well. 

Imagine what a total waste of a life it would be to not know what you want, or to keep your truths and desires hidden under a million layers of conscious and unconscious social conditioning and the fanciful expectations by oneself and society.

Listen to your gut, be honest to your instincts. If a situation makes you anxious, accept it. If you want to switch jobs, switch them. If you are angry at your friend, tell them and talk to them. If someone makes you happy, cherish that. Find out what aligns with your well-being and do that. And while doing that, please remember to be honest with others as well. 

It is so important for all of us to learn to be clear about what we bring to the table, yet sadly, among the games and the chaos, we never really learnt that. Be clear about your intentions, your changing thoughts and emotions and put it across to anybody who is concerned.

And let me tell you, being honest requires courage. The kind of courage that when things fall apart and come undone, you don’t run. You stay and you do it right by yourself and them. Real audacity is in being truthful, in doing the right thing. It is some dreadful and difficult work, I totally agree, but so worth it because in the end, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you at the moment, it’s going to save everyone so much time and trouble. And for what it’s worth, I think it’ll leave us all a little happier, a little calmer, and a lot more at peace. 

I remember reading this some where and I cannot agree more: “Maybe we are too busy being flowers or fairies or strawberries instead of something honest and worthy of respect . . . you know . . . like honest people.”

Yours succinctly, Khushi!