Let me begin this article with the following wise words by The Buddha

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. " The Buddha

A few years ago a dear friend of mine, who is a long time Buddhist and successful business man, said to me that the most difficult thing in one's life is to be totally honest with oneself.

I readily agreed at the time, not fully appreciating the total depth of those words. Several years of personal development work later I have not only come to appreciate in much more depth what my friend was telling me, but also just how utterly important honesty is in our quest for personal growth and advancement.

The average person believes in truthfulness and values honesty, but there is a snag: They have no idea what it really means to be totally honest with oneself. This is because our conditioning dictates how we think and act and the majority of people are blissfully unaware how their conditioning puts up a rock solid wall between their real selves and what they believe they are.

The mind is a joker and a manipulator. It fools you into believing that you have to fear and that you have to be angry with others, and finally, that you are the victim of outside circumstances. All of the above assumptions are incorrect though and only serve one purpose; they make you feel bad about yourself.

On my inner journey I discovered gradually over time how I had been fooling myself into believing that I was afraid of certain things, angry with many people and unable to change my world. I also began to see more and more how my own mental injunctions, (limiting, negative thoughts) were creating my misery and dependence on outside circumstances. I began to realise that I had been fooling myself inadvertently throughout my entire life. Such realisations on the path of awakening are by no means uncommon. On the contrary, everyone will go through these realisation in one way or another.

I am sharing my own experience here with you to help you understand what it is like when you start looking deeper and begin to glimpse new truths about how you work. Do not get caught up in self defeatist judgement about your thoughts, when you first start noticing all the useless rubbish that is stored inside your head. It will only put up barriers against moving forward and allowing yourself to open up to a more complete understanding of your real self.

View every new insight you gain about yourself as a gift, a chance that will enable you to handle more complex tasks and see more of your world. The more you grasp of your inner world and see it for what it is, the more you can take control of your life.

You will also be able to understand other people with much more compassion and depth. These new insights are of great help in all your relationships, the relationship you have with yourself, your spouse and family, friends and business colleagues. Because everyone loves being with a person who understands them. It is a core requirement for happy relationships and ultimately a happy life.

Honesty with yourself of course can be learned. If you are serious about getting to know yourself and connect to your inner spark, learn meditation techniques and use Micro EFT to increase your cognitive awareness systematically over time. If you are willing and open you will see many opportunities all round you to open and deepen the understanding of your innermost self.

Honesty with yourself, just like any other aspect of personal growth is a journey. Revelations appear along everyone's path. If you are ready you will step through the gateway... The gateways are often camouflaged, that is your challenge and it is the infinite universe offering itself up to you with its infinite possibilities.

So, my friends, have the courage to wake up and practice honesty with yourself. Your reward will be new levels of personal happiness and an increased sense of intuitive knowing. These are qualities that will put you ahead of the crowd.