Can you imagine a world where everyone was painfully honest without fear of what others will think of you?

You wouldn’t be scared to tell someone when something they’re doing bothers you. There would be no more awkward “what are we?” conversations. You wouldn’t have to worry about sounding desperate when you tell someone you love or miss them. Disagreements would be handled much quicker if everyone could just be completely honest about what’s bothering them.

It definitely would have saved me a lot of time and wasted effort had a few people just been straight up with me and said, “I don’t think this is what I want” as soon as they figured it out, rather than stringing me along because they were afraid to hurt my feelings.

This kind of world--where honesty really is the best policy--would be so much simpler and would save people from a great deal of confusion and heartache, and it wouldn’t be difficult to make it a reality. It simply starts with you; tell people what’s on your mind and in your heart. People aren’t as fragile and sensitive as we are led to believe, and it’s okay to tell others exactly how you feel. In fact, telling others how you feel is the only way you’re ever going to get what you want.

Making your thoughts and feelings known to the people around you is so crucial to your very own authenticity. When you sell you or your feelings short, you’re being dishonest; dishonest with yourself and everyone around you. Your thoughts matter. Your feelings matter. Your voice matters.