Now be honest with yourself…. Do you think you're honest? Do you think other people are? Do you really think that honesty is the best policy? Do you really want others to be honest? Can you handle the truth?

Well, to be honest with you… I don't have the answers to that. I have MY answers, sure… but I can't honestly say that those are the right answers.

Well, right or wrong, can you handle this article? If so, read on, gentle readers…

It takes a lot of courage to live your life honestly. It doesn't always get you out of a troubled spot; it can even make things worse. "Honey, does this outfit make me look fat?" is a place where your honesty may never win.

In any case, here's one path to getting yourself to a more honest life:

Face everything head on.
Look at your life as it is, not how you think it should/could/would be. Look at it without judgment. Whenever you become defensive or judgmental about yourself or those things around you, you automatically build walls between you and whatever it is you think is threatening you. This could be anything, from other people and their criticisms of you to your own judgment of yourself.

Be Truthful.
Live with right information, with yourself and others. You don't have to tell your most private thoughts and feelings to every nosey person out there. It just means not being false (Remember that "it's none of your business" is a truth you can also live with.)

Accept it.
You don't have to like the truth, just accept it as Truth. Dealing with the truth is a better foundation to build upon than anything else.

Leave it alone.
Stop twisting things out of shape to fit your moments. You don't have to cover up the truth, decorate it or force it into any mold. "Truth will out," isn't that the way the saying goes? Truth, when left to itself, is truthful. All it needs is your encouragement.

Live as if Truth matters.
If you don't value the truth, you won't honor it. Put Truth above your personal feelings of safety. Make it matter enough to seek it, hold it; live it.

And just for the record, my answers to the questions are "for the most part" ...

...and that's the truth :-)