Category Archives: truth

If all it took to upend the status quo was the truth

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“If all it took to upend the status quo was the truth, we would have changed a long time ago.”

—Seth Godin, American Author

In Seth Godin’s newest book, This is Marketing, he suggests that to be effective, all marketers must have the courage to create tension. Some people actively seek tension because it works to push or pull those we hope to serve over the gap from the present to a better future.

For those who resist change and prefer the relative comfort of the status quo, these influences/marketing messages fall on deaf ears. In such cases, the truth does not set us free, for fear of whatever future we wish to avoid.

Godin suggests that the status quo doesn’t shift because something is true, it shifts because culture changes, and the engine of culture is status.

EXERCISE:

Examine where you and others in your personal and professional communities embrace change and find yourself open and receptive to the abundance of marketing messages coming your way. Where might saying yes and embracing such new ways of thinking or acting improve your status?

These are the things our souls metabolize

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“These are the things that our souls metabolize to be healthy: we need beauty, we need truth, and we need goodness.”

—John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market

Image of sunrise over a mountain, with today's quote
Did you know that the human body can go for more than three weeks without food? The maximum time we can go without water is about a week.

Protein, carbohydrates, and fats make up our food and nourish our bodies for optimal health.

Today’s quote suggests that feeding our souls requires beauty, truth, and goodness if we are to flourish and thrive.

EXERCISE:

What is it that you hunger for? What do your body and soul need most for optimal health? How would incorporating greater beauty, truth, and goodness in each day enrich and improve your life?

telling the truth is a revolutionary act

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“In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

—Author Unknown

Meme of today's quote

Listed below are eleven synonyms for the word “deceit.” How many of these are you seeing in the world these days?

  • Dishonesty
  • Insincerity
  • False/Fake information
  • Unscrupulousness
  • Unprincipled behavior
  • Two-faced
  • Double-dealing
  • Underhandedness
  • Sneakiness
  • Crookedness
  • Machiavellian behavior

What other words would you add to this list? Who are the individuals that fit these descriptive qualities? To what extend do they influence your world?

EXERCISE:

How can you be an even more revolutionary force for good in your personal and professional communities, to bring greater truth and integrity to the world?

Live Simply Love Generously

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“Live Simply, Love Generously, Speak Truthfully, Breathe Deeply, Do Your Best. Leave everything else to the powers above you.”

—Author Unknown

Image of a field of red tulips

Life is complicated.

Or is it?

It seems the rules of the game are as long and laborious as the new tax code or other governmental regulations.

Far too often, we find our heads spinning and our spirits crushed by the overwhelming effort to sort through the complexities.

Who doesn’t crave far greater peace of mind, simplicity, and tranquility in our rat-race world?

EXERCISE:

Consider the five fundamental touch points in today’s quote as guides to inform your daily efforts to lead a far happier and satisfying life.

What would be possible if we all did this, and left the rest to the powers above?

A Lie Can Travel Halfway Around the World

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“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”

—Charles Spurgeon, 19th Century English Preacher

Image of a hand holding a pair of shoes

Image from Unsplash by Kristian Egelund

Over the past year or so, most of us have become aware of the dramatic increase in “Fake News.” During the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, various news outlets went to considerable lengths to disentangle the outright lies and half truths, and get to the facts.

Unfortunately, on many occasions, the truth seems far less interesting than the fake news. Since all media outlets seek greater attention and higher ratings, the path to the truth can be slow and laborious.

EXERCISE:

Where and on what matters can and will you “lace up” the truth in your personal or professional communities, to bring far greater integrity to the world?

Friday Review: Truth

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FRIDAY REVIEW: TRUTH

Just what is the truth? Here are a few truth-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full messages.

 

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”

 

 

 

“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered. The point is to discover them.”

 

 

 

 

“Ring out the false, ring in the true.”

 

 

 

Ring out the false ring in the true

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“Ring out the false, ring in the true.”

-Alfred Lord Tennyson, 19th Century Poet Laureate of Great Britain

Image from Flickr by TechSavi

It’s such a cliche to say “Ring out the Old and Ring in the New!” this time of year.

Tennyson’s twist has considerable merit if we all wish to lead richer and more rewarding lives.

Lies, deceit, and general falsehoods diminish, deflate, and demoralize our lives, leaving us empty and defeated.

Truth, on the other hand, sets us free to experience lives of integrity, character, and dignity, where communities, families, and organizations can blossom.

EXERCISE:

In what personal or professional areas would ringing out the false and ringing in the true make the biggest difference for you in 2017?

Discover the Truth

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“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered. The point is to discover them.”

—Galileo Galilei, 17th Century Italian astronomer & philosopher

Image of a boy in a science center

Image from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

What makes something real or true? Many would agree that perception is reality, and the mental models and paradigms we create throughout our lives lock in what is true for us.

The process of coaching emphasizes the examination of these views and perspectives.  It supports far greater awareness and promotes the discovery that enhances their desired outcomes.

EXERCISE:

Where and on what issues would you benefit most from a coaching process to more fully discover your most important truths?

what a tangled web we weave

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“Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”

—Sir Walter Scott, from the 1808 poem Marmion

 

Spiderweb Image from Flickr

Image from Flickr by 55Laney69

Watching the media circus around the recent presidential election, I noticed an increase in fact-checking news segments.

Outright lies, deceit, half truths and, of course, gross exaggerations had many of us tangled up emotionally, stressed out, and completely disgusted.

Perhaps you are troubled by various levels of deceit in your personal or professional worlds. How do you handle these matters? How do you untangle the knots, or better yet, never tie them in the first place?

EXERCISE:

Where would more honesty, integrity, and good old-fashioned truth-telling and character set you free from the tangled webs many weave?