Of all the people who seek to deceive us, the person we undoubtedly need to truth-monitor most closely isn’t our internet dating lover, not our bosses, nor our neighbor who swears she isn’t stealing the magazines from your mail…it’s us. That’s right, babies, we are always and forever our own worst enemy. Of course, we’re also our greatest ally and peppiest cheerleader, when we can keep our internal negativity and self-deceit to a minimum.
Some lies we tell ourselves aren’t only tiny and white, but can be downright vital to our survival. Like “I’m too good for him anyway”…we need that one. But there are a lot of damaging falsehoods that we all need to stop spouting to ourselves immediately:
“He/she says they don’t want to be in a relationship, but I can change their mind”
No, oh Dear God, no. Okay, I’m in a big, huge, glass house so I will absolutely not throw stones of judgment at those of you currently under the spell of this oh-so-intoxicating lie. Don’t start kicking yourself too hard, but this is almost never true.
If someone says they don’t want to be in a relationship, one of two things is true: either they actually mean it and you’re wasting your time and emotion, or they are saying it as some sort of hard-to-get mind game and that makes them really, really lame and insecure.
I know what you’re thinking, you sassy contradictors: your sweetie said that and you loved them right out of it and now you’re happy. Okay, smarty pants, maybe that’s true. But do a favor and call me in a year. If your significant other didn’t eventually realize that they had some unresolved issues to deal with on their own that they put on the backburner when they met you but ended up eating away at them until they had no choice but to leave the relationship and become a functional person again like they tried to do in the first place (holy long-sentence-to-make-a-point, Batman!) then I owe you a batch of cookies.
“That lump in my breast is probably nothing”
Or any other such excuse pertaining to your health. We all know that with these little worries, they usually turn out to be nothing. But sometimes, it’s absolutely not nothing. Doctors and tests can be intimidating but walking around in denial when something is wonky about your body is a habit that will yield a far scarier outcome.
I’m not saying to freak out and run to the doc every time you get a hiccup, but do be aware of your body. You’ll know when something is truly out of whack. And that’s something you always have to be honest with yourself about.
“The diet starts tomorrow”
Ahh, this one. You thought I was going to let this one slide, didn’t you? Not a chance. Because we all do this at one point or another. We always promise ourselves we’re going to make some big, positive change in our lives…starting the next day. Sometimes we do, more often we don’t. We wake up already filled with things to do in our busy lives and adding the burden of starting a new healthy routine on top of all that might seem like too much.
All it takes is one hurried breakfast burrito and suddenly your will power is shot for the day. Instead, try doing something healthy as soon as you make up your mind to make the switch. Go for a post-work jog and eat a light, nutrient-rich dinner. You’ll sleep better and wake up already on the right path.
