My personal journey has taught me that truth must be the starting place for any serious attempt at self-improvement.

What do I mean by truth?

The ego is so ravenously protective of its self-image. In other words, human beings are masters of deception, most often deceiving themselves. If given a choice, most of us would rather live in a happy bubble than face the truth about our own shortcomings. But when we can’t face the truth or we choose not to, we cannot ascertain an honest appraisal of our own strengths and shortcomings.

All real self-improvement is built upon this honest self-appraisal. Without truth, we rob ourselves of our fundamental capacity to grow.

Truth is the fertile ground on which growth sprouts.

Truth can be so hard because sometimes it is painful or overwhelming.
Know that people lie because they are afraid. They might fear the pain. They might fear the shame.

Truth requires bravery. Truth is vulnerable. And this process doesn’t require another human being to be difficult. Telling the truth about ourselves to ourselves is often our starting point, and deceptively challenging.

Ask yourself:
What lies do I tell myself about myself or the world? What am I avoiding?

An itch is a fascinating thing. Your body creates an itch in order to motivate an action on your part: vigorous rubbing that removes the scab or rapid blinking that helps wash away the allergen.

In this same way, your itch for the truth – motivates deeper engagement so that you may begin confront uncomfortable realities and to grow.

In what ways are you ignoring your itch for the truth or your itch for more?