Most of us spend much of our lives running from the truth.

We hate when others lie, but what about when we lie to ourselves? Why do we allow ourselves to deny or bend reality to fit our fantasies or confirm our fears?

Stop lying to yourself about life. It is not that simple. You tell yourself it’s simple because you’re afraid to face it’s complexity. Stop lying to yourself and face reality, even if you can’t yet handle it.

Stop lying to yourself about others. Everything is not their fault. They are not dumber, smarter, uglier, or prettier than you. They are not out to get you, upstage you, seduce you, or bow before you. In fact, they’re probably not even thinking about you (except when wondering what you think about them). Stop lying to yourself and let others be.

Stop lying to yourself about yourself. Most of us hate being truly alone and completely silent, because in silent solitude all we have is ourselves – our petty fears, vindictive memories, and embarrassing fantasies. (I can’t tell you how many last second shots I’ve hit or arguments I’ve won while I was “praying.”) Get alone, get quiet, and face the reality of how much you depend on noise and affirmation to make yourself feel loved. You’ll never know love until you face the ugly truth about who you are, and you’ll never face that truth so long as you persist in distraction. God loves you, so tell yourself the truth.

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NOTE: In light of my 30th birthday and in honor of the guys who have all the fun, I’ll be offering thirty reflections in thirty days starting December 19th. Today’s post is #26 (see the so-far list here). The only rule is that I have 250 words to make my point. After that just stop reading. Thanks for making my blog part of your internet experience.