The Lies We Tell

We lie to ourselves on a daily basis. These lies cover up our perceived shortcomings and prevent us from taking risks. Ultimately, these lies limit our lives and our ability to enjoy life fully. In the end, our lies serve the purpose of making us feel better in the short-term. You may not even be aware of the lies you tell yourself. Let's take a look at a few and debunk them outright.

“I don’t have a choice.” We all have an unlimited number of options available to us at any time. You might not feel brave or capable enough to consider them all, but you do have options. Consider what advice you would give a friend in a similar situation. Or determine what your most capable friend would do. Can you do the same?

“If I do X or say Y, people will think less of me.” Thought it’s hard to believe, no one cares. Everyone is too preoccupied with their own lives or else wondering what your opinion is of them.If you believe you’re worthy, you won’t have these types of thoughts. You’re good enough to do and say what you want.


“It’s too late for me.” People have graduated from medical school in their 60’s. An 80-year old successfully climbed Mount Everest. Bottom line, if you're still breathing, you still have a chance to accomplish something. Do you still think it’s too late?
Many things become less convenient as we get older. For example, it’s more challenging to go back to school when you have a family and a full-time job compared to a single, 20-year old. But challenging and impossible are completely different. You have to determine how passionate you are about what you want. Don't let convenient excuses deter you.

“Anything short of perfect is failure.” If you have to be the best at something before you’ll try, you’ll never get off the couch. Most of us may not have the potential to be the best at anything, but we can all be pretty good at just about anything. However, it requires time and effort. It's perfectly fine to aim to be the best, but you must first get started.

Stop comparing yourself to others. We are not all meant to have the same abilities, talents, or even blessings. What's meant for you is for you. That’s another sign of feeling unworthy. There’s no reason to be competitive with everything you do. Enjoy yourself without worrying about how well you’re doing or what somebody is doing or what they have. Stay focused on your own dreams and goals and the blessings will flow.

“I’d be happy if I had more money.” Studies have shown that happiness and income are only correlated up to a salary of roughly $70,000 per year. That means that millionaires are no happier than those that make $70,000 annually. I know most of us may think if we had millions, our life would be so much better. Actually, there would most likely be more problems. If you can pay your bills each month, money isn’t limiting your happiness.

“I can change him (or her).” Unlikely. Think about how hard is to change yourself, even when you want to change. Now imagine how difficult it is to change someone else, especially if that other person doesn’t want to change. It's not gonna happen. Learn to accept others as they are. If something about them is too disagreeable, then it might be time to move on.

“I’m limited in my ability to accomplish anything.” It has been said that learning to walk and talk are far more challenging than anything else anyone has ever accomplished. Even though you may have a few issues to resolve, you're much more capable than you think.
We are masters at deluding ourselves. We lie to the person in the mirror in order to protect ourselves – to make us feel better. Avoid giving up your future in order to appease your emotions in the short-term. It could be argued that the purpose of all self-help is to learn how to lie to ourselves less frequently. Try it! You might actually like what you find.