The Honesty Chronicles

I think the trend towards transparency in business and government is really just an outward expression of an inner hunger for the realness and authenticity that we’ve lost in our own lives. The routine denial of all our inconvenient thoughts and feelings disconnects us from the thing we most long for – a sense of aliveness and joy.

Getting real about this stuff is how we recapture our sense of aliveness.

So here’s my plan…

I’m going to aim the spotlight at the plethora of ridiculous little things I’m capable of (and perhaps a few other good sports along the way) in my attempt to try to keep everyone happy and avoid judgment and rejection. Things we all do, but don’t talk about. You know. Like nodding while someone is speaking even though we’re not really listening or interested. Or keeping our feelings quiet because we don’t want to rock the boat. Or making excuses instead of just saying ‘no.’ And I’m going to try to expose our motives (mostly to avoid pain) and the cost (isolation and disconnection) and what’s possible when we tell ourselves the truth.

I have this fantasy. It goes like this…

One day, I’ll be in this large outdoor area surrounded by thousands of other people. An outdoor music festival, perhaps. Then all of a sudden, all of our worst fears and insecurities are suddenly projected onto these little bubbles above our heads for everyone to see. “I’m ugly.” “I’m not smart enough.” “No one loves me,” etc. We look around in horror realizing we have been unmasked so vulnerably. But then a second later, we are all on the ground laughing so hard we can’t speak. The realization? Everyone’s bubble looks pretty much the same. Not one of us has it together. Not one.