The Importance of Being Earnest with Yourself

When you delve into a practice of deciding what you believe, it’s important to develop a habit of being honest with yourself. Many of us adopt, and perpetuate, beliefs that we think we should. And in so doing, we edit ourselves out of the picture.

When you delve into a practice of deciding what you believe, it’s important to develop a habit of being honest with yourself.

Your own wants and desires are essential to developing a set of beliefs. Why? Because beliefs are what help you accomplish all your goals.

When you aren’t honest with yourself, as to what you want from life, your beliefs may end up reflecting other people’s desires, and not your own. If you fail to own up to your wants, you may miss a chance to develop positive beliefs to support you. And you could, inadvertently, practice a belief that works against you.

Here is how that works. Say you are working out whether the universe is on your side. If you associate with people who believe that life is actively working against them, you could end up believing that too without really checking in with yourself as to the validity of that idea. In this way, you take on a belief that works against you, as it’s hard to accomplish your goals if you think there are forces holding you back.

It’s the same with indifference. If you believe that the universe is indifferent, you may struggle to find meaning or purpose, which also keeps you from seizing all life has to offer and using it to your best advantage. Thus, the far more logical belief is to assume life is on your side, at all times, and then use that belief to help you accomplish what you want.

Which is where honesty comes in.

Many of us who hold great faith in the goodness of life downplay our own wants and desires. Like we’re not supposed to have them and instead should practice being satisfied with where we are. Although gratitude is a primary tool that I use every day, I balance it out by paying tribute to my own personal wants, hopes and dreams.

The sweet spot for me changes each day, but the key ingredient is me and my honesty as to what I want. When I do this sort of inner work and get clear on my goals, I notice that I find my balance more easily. I also notice that I accomplish my goals more easily, but that’s a post for another day.

Getting clear on your desires starts with an intention to know what you truly want. Then, it’s up to you to make it a habit to say “I want” and mean it. Some of us have practiced saying, “I don’t want” for so long that we have forgotten how to flip the script. It’s easy, however. Every time you notice a negative thing in your live, say what you truly want, regardless of whether you can achieve it. Make it a new habit to speak your wants, notice your wants, and celebrate your wants. Honestly.

Getting clear on your desires starts with an intention to know what you truly want. Then, it’s up to you to make it a habit to say “I want” and mean it.

Here is how that might sound:

I want him to learn to take care of himself and stop looking to me for guidance.

I want to be left alone for the next hour.

I want this commute to go swiftly and easily.

I want to eat another piece of cake.

Most of us either fail to acknowledge our wants or pretend we don’t have them. The far easier, and more helpful, plan is to welcome in all your wants and let them get aired out.

By doing so, you will be bringing your authentic self into your day. You will be presenting more as yourself. You will be aligning to the true you with each honest want you acknowledge.

This sort of habit creation is not only helpful, it’s essential if you want to become someone who leverages her spirit to accomplish her goals. So see this action — saying “I want” and meaning it — as a critical step toward a set of beliefs that work for you. If you want to jumpstart creation of a set of helpful beliefs, check out my Introductory Course to Practical Spirituality. It has all you need to create a custom script that will help you move into a set of beliefs you can use.