Strength In Honesty

Let me be honest, and I know this will bite me on the bum, but if I don't start with this honest statement, what the hell am I doing here!!

It is 2 AM on a Friday morning... I can't sleep... as usual. And I made a commitment to my son that by Monday I would have another article written on a topic.

What was I going to write about? Where was I going to find inspiration? So I went back and re read some articles on our site to figure out where there are holes or information not covered, when I stumbled on an article from January 19, 2024... yes... almost three years ago... written by me (and if you ask me, one of my most heartfelt and best articles I have ever written). The title was Honesty & Authenticity - What's the Difference?

As I read through it, I was suddenly shocked by what my own words had to say... I was suddenly disappointed in myself because I had noticed a specific paragraph that made me cringe... It read like this:

"In other articles I will go in-depth as to the need and value for each of these (honesty + authenticity) individually, but it's important to understand the different and unique qualities of each!"

January 19th was a very long time ago... To me, that statement now seemed dishonest. So I picked up my pen, got some paper, and started writing immediately.

How could I claim honesty if I did not fulfil my claims? I don't care about the fact that now I'm writing this, it seems too long to wait for this article on such an important and pivotal topic. One that should be a key foundational element that anyone who wants to be respected and taken seriously.

Honesty is hard sometimes.

Honesty includes not satisfying others sometimes.

Honesty can even feel like rejection to others at times.

And if you are always trying to help people, honesty and true honesty can include inaction, as long as you know you can't help.

Honesty includes admitting fault.

It also can feel like the hardest path to follow, but if you want to be trusted, respected, and believed by others in the long run, you have to always be honest. And this includes with yourself. In fact, it has to start within yourself and exude out of you every day, in every situation, and in all aspects of how you conduct yourself.

I will be the first to put up my hand and admit that in the past I have been at times dishonest, and where that led me was to a position where I had no confidence or strength within myself. I couldn't live like that, but the irony was that I didn't even feel how unbearable it was to be in the place I ended up in.

The funny thing is that as I write this... so late both in time of day and since the last article I referenced earlier, there has been a series of major events that completely changed the way I perceived so many aspects of my life and the way I was living.

Without going into detail, last year was shit... and that's the technical term for it, but it started a series of events that metamorphosised me from caterpillar to butterfly... its what it literally felt like...I went from digging my way, crawling, load-bearing all the way, to a beautiful creature destined to live life so lightly I felt like I left the ground and flew for the first time.

I have never felt so sure of myself

I have never felt so relived... I have never been so unburdened

And I owe it all to honesty. I am not afraid to say that for almost two years, my team-especially my eldest son has kept this dream and vision alive.

I am not afraid to admit my faults, shortcomings, and weaknesses. And through the constant, conscious choice of telling only the truth - even when it made me feel weak, even when it felt bad, or even when I had to let people down have I ever in my brief history on this planet have I had so much belief, confidence, trust, and respect for myself. Yes, for myself.

What did that achieve apart from making myself feel better? I know that like love, no one can love you if you don't first love yourself.

I put it to you to go stand in front of a mirror and ask yourself... honestly... is that the man you are exuding to the world? If not, just be ready to accept the fact that if you don't have confidence in yourself, if your words are not true, and if you don't have your own integrity, don't expect anyone to treat you with these favourable traits.

Make sure you are satisfied with who you are

Always

Even when you could get away with it

Even when no one else knows.