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Phil and Maude's avatar

This was sent in an email:

Lisa Gomez l

What a beautiful article.

If I am not truthful to me, its hardly likely I will be truthful to others. I know everything starts with me, and being honest with myself is the beginning of having good relationships with others.

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Phil and Maude's avatar

Thank you, Lisa. We couldn't agree more!

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Phil and Maude's avatar

Posted on Medium:

S.L. Spiritual Lightness:

Real peace in our relationships begins with radical honesty, not just with each other, but with ourselves. When we stop hiding behind who we think we should be, and instead bring our full truth to the table with love and presence, we make room for sacred connection to unfold. Thank you for this reminder that honesty is not conflict, it is clarity and it is peace.

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Phil and Maude's avatar

You are welcome. And again, much, very much, depends on your timing, the tone of your voice and the style in which you impart your truth.

thank you

Maude

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Phil and Maude's avatar

This was posted on Facebook:

Thank you for these insights! You hit upon the very problems I'm working through right now. Although your article said a lot of useful things, there were two that really resonated with me today. One, your relationship isn't a competition, it's a collaboration. Just that realization alone is a major game changer. And two, when you can be with someone without barriers, you can share more of your true self and actualize more of your potential. That's the expansion God gives us.

Esther Wood

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Phil and Maude's avatar

I am so happy to hear that this came at just the right time for you!

Thank you for the feedback.

Maude

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Erica Crall PhD's avatar

Truly accepting one another and deep trust opens up the avenue for honesty. 🌺

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Phil and Maude's avatar

Yes, it does. Thank you for your comment.

Maude

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Anna Drabik's avatar

Such a great post, Phil and Maude! Also, I really enjoyed listening to your voiceover. Such a wonderful voice :)

I completely agree with all of this — honesty takes so much self-awareness. I appreciate that you also tuned into the element that with honesty, we need to feel safe with our partners to be able to go there. That sense of safety makes all the difference, and think it's important we cultivate that in our relationships.

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Phil and Maude's avatar

Thank you Anna for your astute response. Yes, the sense of safety, we need to learn to cultivate that. Let's take what we learn from our deepest relationships and spread that peace one relationship at a time!

Maude

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Iris Cutler's avatar

While being totally honest with oneself is paramount to all relationships; navigating these waters with sensitivity is a very tricky path. In regards to my daughter I often stay away from "hot" subjects that stimulate a defensive posture. In regards to my dearest friends I steer the subjects(if possible) to places of ease. I was once more brazen in my opinions but as I have come to feel that peace within myself is much more important than my feelings about a particular subject; I am glad to proceed carefully through the safety of less thorny environments if possible. Today's world has become very volatile and sanctioning tenderness is not always about addressing the storms; so honesty lives in each of us . Definitely as mentioned..time and place is a big part of this equation.

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Phil and Maude's avatar

Dear Iris,

I agree whole heartedly. The honest path is first within, and then learning the way we can bring this into our relationships. And the ones that create true peaceful relating are the ones where you can be yourself totally and be completely honest - and as stated, "Sometimes, in an important relationship (often with family), the other person is not ready to move toward this same goal, and you will need to hold back who you are and what you feel and think for a more propitious time. It is hard sometimes, but try not to be deterred. The more you can be in your truth, the less you will need to put it forth when it is not being sought in that situation."

with love

Maude

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