8 (Awesome) Things That Happen When You Quit Lying to Yourself
OK, so here’s the thing. Everybody lies at some time or another. Sometimes it’s a little white lie to protect someone else’s feelings. Sometimes it’s a big fat lie. When it comes to how we treat ourselves, however, we seldom lie to protect our feelings, in fact we lie to ourselves a lot about how much we suck and how talentless, stupid, ugly, etc. etc. we are. Well, it’s time to give that crap up. #RealTalk.
Here are 8 things – which are totally awesome – that happen when you quit lying to yourself.
#1. You can trust yourself
Remember what it was like in active addiction, when you didn’t know up from down, tails from heads? Besides the foggy effect that the alcohol and other drugs were having on your brain, a lot of this came from the constant lying to yourself (i.e. denial). When you quit lying to yourself, though, you start to learn to trust yourself. Which is totally a good thing.
#2. You feel like a proud, virtuous woman
I mean, who wouldn’t want to feel this way? And, we don’t mean in a stuck-up way. For far too long, we walked with our heads hung low from the guilt and shame (see #3) of using and lying to both ourselves and others. Now, we can walk with our heads high.
#3. You don’t feel shameful
Lying to yourself is like constantly walking around with a guilty conscience and, no matter how much you think you’re hiding this part of you from others, it’s written all over you – in your body language, the way you carry yourself, how you treat yourself which spills over to how you treat others. When you decide to quit lying to yourself, you will no longer walk around, cloaked in shame.
#4. You gain self-respect and self-worth
Again, when you stop lying to yourself, you will naturally gain a sense of respect for yourself as well as realize that you are worth way more than you’ve been telling yourself all these years. You’re worthy so start believing it.
#5. You gain a sense of inner peace
Lying to yourself is one way that inner turmoil and mental anguish show up. Therefore, when you break yourself of the habit of telling yourself all of those terrible lies, you will experience inner peace and happiness, perhaps for the first time in a long time.
#6. You embrace your potential
Once you let go of all of those lies and self-limiting beliefs, you will start to believe in yourself – in your dreams, aspirations, and abilities. And, once you start believing, you will start achieving.
#7. You can experience self-acceptance
With self-worth, self-respect, and inner peace come an overall experience of self-acceptance. And being able to accept and love yourself for who you are will extend to how you feel about and treat others.
#8. You can be true to yourself, which brings freedom
Ahhh, perhaps the most awesome thing that happens when you quit lying to yourself is that you will have a personal freedom that you never had before. Being true to yourself and living joyfully and unapologetically is probably the ultimate level in the game of life. Congrats! #YouWinAtLife.
If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-777-9588.