"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom."
--Thomas Jefferson
Honesty is a facet of moral character, which connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as, integrity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, forthrightness of conduct, with the absence of lying, cheating and exaggerating.
Celebrating ourselves, our relationships, and life itself is not possible without honesty. When we are dishonest with others, we are living a lie with false words, actions and fake images. If we are dishonest, then we are not honoring and celebrating life; rather, we are degrading life. Lying to others is a sure way to put a distance between us and undermine the foundation of all relationships.
On the other hand, being always truthful with others, builds mutual trust and creates a huge sense of openness-cultivating a feeling of safety and comfort. While dishonesty creates only distrust and ultimate isolation. When we take responsibility for our actions and words, which stem from honesty we become stronger in how we feel about ourselves.
When we need to candidly discuss something difficult with another person, we must set aside time to focus on the conversation with keen attention and purpose. During the conversation if you find yourself exaggerating or lying, put a stop to it right away.
Many times we fake attention and interest in a conversation or activity which is painstakingly boring and of no interest to us; it is perfectly fine to excuse ourselves, or change the topic, with due respect. Also, if you catch yourself lying by omission try not to get onto the subject where you feel compelled to lie by omission.
If you have been dishonest about something, apologize for the oversight and put it behind you. Most people will appreciate your honesty. Remove the filters between what you think and what you say. You will notice that you will gain trust and respect from people around you. It is not the most difficult thing to do once you become aware of your thoughts and words. You will not be able to please everyone, but, you will be well-pleased with yourself at the end of the day!
One of the best ways to enrich and deepen the love and integrity of a valuable relationship is to develop the habit of completely honest communications. If honest communication is the norm rather than the exception in our relationships, we are freeing ourselves and others to be authentic.
Practicing honesty, courage and compassion, in our daily lives is how we cultivate worthiness. The key word is practice. For example courage is a virtue. You get it by performing courageous acts. It's like you learn to swim by swimming. Daily practice after a while becomes a habit. The same is true for honesty. We invite honesty into our lives when we act honestly toward ourselves and others. By making a commitment to be honest consistently and honoring this commitment we can be assured that most will respect us as trustworthy persons with integrity!