Why the cold hard truth is better than fluff
How the truth really hurts, but lies hurt worse
Do you ever find yourself holding a grudge against someone over a simple observation they made about you? Or how about hearing that you’ve been labeled something that is quasi-offensive to you? Well, it happens to the best of us, and when it does, we dwell on it, repeat it, and pick every last bit of meat off of it, so we can continue to stay offended. Well, that’s exactly the wrong thing to do.
Why would we not want the hard pill of truth? At least it’s out there, and you can start to figure out where to go next. It’s like we’d rather have things sugar coated so we can live our little oblivious life of fakeness. That’s awful.
As of late, I’ve become a fan of the hard, chalky pill because I’ve come to the decision that it’s best to hear and say what is real, since it’s step one on the road of contentment. Why not hear what everyone is thinking?
You can take it, and it’ll serve you well in the long run. Here’s why
Set your goals based on what is real
Imagine what an exercise in futility it would be if you sat down to set your goals and had a skewed view of yourself or your actions? It’s an epic waste of time, and you won't be setting yourself up for success. If others see you as cold and inconsiderate, the goal of being a team leader in your workplace is way off target.
If those around you don’t freely offer up the candid truth, ask for it. Plead for honesty, candor, and let them know that you’re not a cream puff who’s going to be crushed by the response. This will open the door, not just for this moment, but also down the road.
You know where you stand
It’s a pretty awful feeling to think that others may be having conversations about you, your behavior, or performance. It can take your mind down a really bad road and lead to a spiral of insecurity and even make you hate what you’re doing. You could be way off base, but your thoughts and misguided feelings take the wheel sometimes, and can lead to poor decisions. This isn’t easy, but knowing exactly where you stand is ultimately a great feeling...after the possible sting.
It will set you free
Not knowing the truth perpetuates a cycle of putting your energy into something false. Let’s say you think your relationship is going just great, but that you have just hit a rough patch, and your partner has chosen not to hurt you with the truth, thinking it better to wait and see. If you decide to blindly start putting work into new strategies based on what you think is going on, you’re continuing to misplace your energy and waste time. Whereas if you knew the truth, you’d be free from that problem solving hysteria, and move on to something that’s real. Of course that will be painful and uncomfortable, but only for a short time.
No matter how bad the truth is, if it’s going to set something in motion that is going to force you to make some changes, it will ultimately be building a solid foundation for whatever this leads you to next.
You’ve probably heard expressions to this effect, but never really thought about how true they are. Here are a couple for thought:
The worst thing about being lied to is knowing that you weren’t worth the truth.
If the truth hurts, it means you’ve been living a lie.
Hard pills, to be sure, but they make a lot of sense. Think highly enough of yourself that you consider receiving the honest and candid truth an act of self respect. Love yourself enough to believe that you deserve it, and that it will lead you to the right path. Even if you have to choke it down at first.