““... [T]ruth has at least three levels. The first is a basic communication that we seek in our daily lives, that is, telling the truth about what we see, what we feel, and what we need. And we want others to do the same for us. ... What we see, feel, and need is not always clear to us nor does it always feel safe safe for us to express. ... I suffer just knowing that I've told a lie, and all lies separate me from myself and from others. ... Integrity is internal honesty. It is telling the truth when no one would ever know. Integrity is refusing to tell a lie for self or for others. ... One of the most powerful understandings about truth that I have learned is that although telling or hearing the truth may help lift a weight from our shoulders, it may simultaneously break our hearts. Telling the truth is often not easy in the short run; it is, however, infinitely valuable in the long run. To lie requires that you turn away from yourself and others, and that creates misery. Living stay is learning to make conscious choices about truthfulness in daily living.””
