It's easy to talk when no one is listening

            The right words tend to get lost when we are under pressure. Maybe it's the anxiety of making a fool of ourselves in front of others or the lack of time to collect our thoughts but, when the moment is right, we all tend to be at a loss for words. That is why we all vent off camera, out of sight, where no one can see us stumble until we get everything just the way we want. It's not the ideal arrangement, but sometimes the only way to tell the truth is when you are alone.
            Self searching plays a big part in discovering our true emotions and thoughts. Without it we can only go skin deep into ourselves, never reaching the heart of the matter. For many of us that search is through prayer or meditation, some fill time with mind-numbing tasks until it hits them, and others just sit in silence hoping the answers will come. Whatever the method is we all come to our answers, but how we share them is another matter completely.
            Even the most extroverted person fears the people who they admire and seek approval of. For some reason we cannot put our collected thoughts to words that easily, forcing us to seek alternate means of communication. The number of relationships that hide behind a letter or an instant messenger to tell the truth is great, but the number of relationships that go discussed is greater. In some way, form, or fashion, we all need our own way to tell someone else what we are thinking.
            As the song goes, "Every time the time was right all the words just came out wrong, So I'll have to say I love you, in a song." Music is just one form of telling someone the truth. Somehow hiding behind a guitar or a recording is the safety net someone needs to convey what they are thinking, sometimes it's something as simple as a poem, painting, or blog, but one thing is certain; it's something that more of us need to start doing.
            The truth is useless if it is never said. What good is a testimony if it is never told or a song that is never sung? It doesn't matter how we do it or what we do it on, but we all need someway of saying what we think and we need to start telling our thoughts. Trust is the most important thing two people can share, but we need to be willing to share the truth first. I have my blog, poems, and music; what do you have? Whatever it is, you need to start using it. Go ahead: no one is listening.

It's about being blunt

"The truth will set you free"

            How often is that quote thrown around with no explanation? We are told that we must always tell the truth, but we are never told it's often much easier to lie. Most people would rather lie to someones face and be nice than to say what they are really thinking and risk retaliation, but what we don't realize is that lies create more lies.
            Now it's true that telling a lie to not hurt someones feelings does not mean you will have to lie again down the road, but what it does mean is that the "keep them happy" lie might cause an emotion or returned comment that would have not been given or felt if we had not lied in the first place. That feeling or gift is lie. Your "white lie" has now become something else entirely and, most likely, will require you to lie again to keep that "happiness" alive.
            There may be a time and place for "white lies", but it's not something you can really take lightly. So ask yourself, is it worth finally breaking the chain later and hurting them much worse later when you could just tell the hard truth now?

It's all about being honest

            It's very easy to get carried away. Whether it's with a sport, someone you like, or an addiction, we have all at one time let our emotions get the best of us. A lot of times its actually beneficial for us and maybe even the people around us to let ourselves proceed as we want to; at least at the beginning. Happiness now often leads to sorrow later that would have been avoided if we had stopped ourselves before going too far.
            The sad realization of this however is that, as much as it may affect your life and hurt you, it can often hurt the other person more. We need to learn to be honest with ourselves and others about what we feel and smart about what we do about it if we really want to protect ourselves and others from emotional pain. It's not the most fun answer or way to live life but, in the end, I think it's the most rewarding because its the only way you'll have friends in the end.