Charissa says that half-truths and lies may be your
ultimate demise.
By Charissa Patterson-Martinez
Play it straight why don’t you. It’s so much easier to know where you’re coming from when you tell it like it is from the start. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Instead many of us say what we think the listener wants to hear. Word play can get confusing if you are not careful. Don’t say that you want to do something that you really don’t have the heart to do. Just save people the grief.
You’d be surprised by how many people I run into that are totally comfortable with half-truths. They don’t want to hear it, see it or say it. I’m not sure that I’ll understand that concept ever. Not only is this not good, it could be flat out deadly. I know this is a drastic example I am about to illustrate to you, but you could save your life if you listen to the information that your doctor wants to share with you, if you managed to tell him the whole truth so that he could properly assess you that is. The truth could save your daughter or son’s life when you gain the courage to talk about subjects that you’d rather not. The truth could save you from manipulation if the truth was received well or given freely. Someone could argue that the truth could be used to manipulate. The point here is to find your truth and be confident in it. Half-truths get you into a lot of trouble and land you in places that you either know you shouldn’t be or have no idea what to do once there. Half-truths are a pretty easy sell. This may be the cases possibly because we would rather avoid unpleasant feelings than tell or be slapped down with the truth. Unfortunately, when people communicate honestly with one another, someone may hear something they don’t want to hear, or address truths about them that needed addressing years ago. When you’re sharing something and it’s coming from an honest place the listener will ultimately appreciate that you cared enough about the circumstance that you find yourself in. Figure out what side of the road you stand on. It’s hard to respect someone who’s not consistent and indecisive and more importantly, not
trustworthy.
Can you remember a time when you participated in an event that you really could not afford to do? I’m not talking monetarily; I mean that piece of time that you reluctantly gave away; the time taken away from your children, family and friend. Do we do these things simply because it would have been more uncomfortable being honest and saying no? We should all try a little extracurricular activity with the ones we love and especially ourselves. Being true to ourselves and communicating from an honest place also gives us freedom. We breathe easier, live better when we choose to live an honest life and not a dishonest lie.
Charissa Patterson-Martinez is a wife, mother, daughter and friend. She is also a motivational speaker and writes about inspiring individuals who seek personal empowerment, enrichment and enlightenment. Charissa is originally from Lansing, MI and currently lives in Lens, Belgium. You can reach her at charissa@bephree.com or on Facebook at Be PHREEE. P.H.R.E.E.E. stands for Positive Human Realizing Enlightening, Encouragement, Empowerment!
This was printed in the August 26, 2012 – September 8, 2012 Edition
