JANUARY 19 – Stop Lying
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” — Gloria Steinem
I once asked a guy in a meeting, “How do you practice rigorous honesty?” He said, “Stop lying.” I laughed, but he didn’t. I thought honesty was about confessing every thought that crossed my mind, but he meant something simpler — stop twisting facts to make myself look good. I used to lie to survive; eventually I lied out of habit. Sometimes it’s not even a full lie — it’s exaggerating a story just enough to look better, tougher, or more interesting. But recovery isn’t about becoming a saint — it’s about catching myself before the lie becomes the story. When I stop spinning things and just tell the truth, I start to feel lighter. Still, sometimes I wonder — if I drop the act completely, will people still like me?
Where am I still trying to make the truth look better than it is?
