Stop Lying, Start Living
The smart person’s guide to brutal and tactful honesty for an optimal health span.
Remember the scene in the movie “Meet the Parents” when Greg (played by Ben Stiller) is hooked up to a lie detector by his girlfriend’s father, Jack (played by Robert De Niro)? It would be amusing to hook clients up to a lie detector to make them honest about their feelings regarding their health. However, while lying can sometimes be beneficial to your safety, when it comes to our health, the only way should be through brutal honesty.
It’s a shame that so many of us live in fear of being honest. This fear can lead to lies that become lifelong stories, impeding our success at every corner. Here’s a guide to living through brutal honesty with yourself and tactful honesty with others to improve health span.
Brutal Honesty with Yourself
Start by being brutally honest with yourself. This is an exercise for self-reflection and not to be done with others. Write out a list of what you’re doing to help and hinder yourself. Be brutally honest about your sleep habits, exercise, nutrition, time spent on social media and TV, work, and even your finances. Observe how you spend your time and notice your habits. Which ones help you? Which ones hinder you?
For example ask yourself, who chooses to spend five hours a day on their phone? Who chooses to order out four nights a week and eat breakfast in the car on the way to work? Who chooses to spend their day at a desk job they love? Recognizing these choices is the first step toward understanding the real story behind your actions.
Tactful Honesty with Others
Next, learn to be tactfully honest with others especially at work. In my corporate wellness programs I encourage employees and employers to be honest. While honesty is crucial for personal growth and authentic living, it’s equally important to practice self-compassion. Being brutally honest with oneself can sometimes bring up uncomfortable truths or highlight areas where we fall short. During these moments, self-compassion helps us approach ourselves with kindness and understanding instead of harsh criticism.
For instance, if someone asks for your help, you might say, “I would love to help you with that; however, to do so, I would have to sacrifice my time to exercise. Instead, I can help with this.” The faster you’re honest, the faster you can meet your goals and tackle the day.
Practicing Self-Compassion
Acknowledge You ARE Human. Remember that everyone has strengths and flaws, and everyone makes mistakes. Being honest with yourself doesn’t mean being perfect; it means being aware and accepting your imperfections, making adjustments, and improving a little each day.
Balance Honesty with Kindness:
When reflecting on your habits, such as sleep, exercise, or finances, be honest but gentle. For instance, if you’re not getting enough sleep, acknowledge it without berating yourself. Instead, look into ways to improve your sleep routine. If exercise is your challenge, try starting with a 5-minute walk and adding 5 minutes each week.
Practice Positive Self-Talk:
Replace negative self-talk with constructive, compassionate language. For example, instead of saying, “I hate exercise,” try, “I’ve struggled with exercise, but I’m taking steps to improve every day.” As corny as it may sound, it makes a difference in the outcomes we achieve. We are a product of our thoughts.
Set Realistic and Willing Expectations:
If you have trouble finding motivation ask yourself, what are you willing to do? If it is nothing, ok, well that is a choice. Not a great one but a choice. While it’s important to be honest about your goals and limitations, be realistic and patient with yourself. Change takes time, and it’s okay to progress at your own pace. Every step is a step in the right direction. View honesty as an opportunity for growth rather than a source of shame. Celebrate small victories and progress, no matter how minor they may seem.
Create a Supportive Environment:
Surround yourself with people who encourage honesty and self-compassion. Seek personal and business relationships, groups, corporate wellness participants and social clubs preferably in person where you feel safe to be yourself and express your true feelings.
Surround yourself with people who encourage honesty and self-compassion. Seek out relationships at work and home where you feel safe to be yourself and express your true feelings. If you need help with being honest with your health goals give us a call to help https://Fitnessknocking.as.me/DiscoveryCall