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Community Corner

Truth

Give it a try. It will set you free.

Why is it so darn hard to be honest? Fear? Is that it? It starts early this need to tell fibs and trying to pull a fast one over on another. But, why? The truth hurts but the alternative doesn’t feel much better. Facing what you have done with one little twist of a word.

I remember being very young and I had an imaginary friend and ironically it was a boy. The make believe boy caused me to make bad decisions and he got me into some trouble when I was little. He was my accomplice.

My children do the same thing, maybe not as manipulative as their mother but, they love to play the blame game as I call it. No one can take responsibility it is always someone else’s fault. Unfortunately, it gets worse as we get older.

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My teenager for instance tried to get away with something that was over his head this weekend. He was caught and tried to deny it. The lies were building to the point that they were not only embarrassing to me, more importantly to him!

After going around and around he finally surrendered and confessed to what really happened. His entire demeanor changed it was visible that telling the truth and laying on the table the facts gave him instantaneous relief. His shoulders relaxed, his breathing slowed and the tense muscles in his face gave way to a more serene look! Ironically people pay people to give them sense of ahhhh and all he did was tell the TRUTH!

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Back to the beginning question, why do we lie when it hurts so many, including ourselves? Another theory, lying might help us win the game of life? Let’s see how many we can fool! That will give us a real sense of POWER! But, power over what?

One still gets up in the morning as has to look in the mirror if they have the courage and see what is staring back at them…a liar, a cheat.That hurts and it takes someone with a backbone to honestly accept what they are looking at. Only a very tenacious human can handle the truth with dignity and honor. The weak keep going with their lies and deceit, to the point that alcohol and drugs are there only alternative to staying afloat. In the end these individuals die or are forgotten members of society.

Bottom line as the old cliché says “The truth hurts”, what really is the alternative. Try being truthful one morning till noon; don’t tell even a white lie. If the truth will hurt someone and doesn’t need to be said don’t say it. See how you feel after 4 hours of being blatantly honest. If it feels good why not try it another 4 hours, you’ll never know if you don’t try it.

To end on a more positive cliché “The truth will set you free”!

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