What if you resolved to be fully truthful? I don’t mean merely not telling lies, but not hiding truths either. Most of us immediately assume this would be hurtful to others. All those hard truths we sometimes hold back or sugar coat would be out in the open. It’s revealing of our thought process that the assumption is that being fully truthful would mean sharing more bad news or negative opinion than we currently do. I think it’s also false.
If you take a few moments to really absorb the full truth of your situation you begin to realize that the harsher truths you refrain from voicing are just the first level. That house is ugly. I don’t like working with my boss. My kids annoy me. Get past these facts and feelings you normally mask and you’ll find a larger, deeper set of truths you equally overlook. The sunshine is beautiful, and it’s there every day. I never have to worry about it. I’ve never gone hungry. My kids make me laugh. This coffee tastes wonderful.
I’m not suggesting you actually go about your day openly sharing every truth about your reality. I’m not even suggesting the beautiful is always greater than the ugly (though I strongly suspect it is). I only wish to challenge the notion that being fully truthful means sharing more bad news than most. Truth is simply the full nature of our universe, and for everyone and everything that subtly bothers you there’s probably someone or something else that surreptitiously delights you.
Whether you share it or not, explore the full truth around you. Don’t stop at the easy, negative truths. If you give it to yourself straight you might actually be more, not less optimistic.