The second strategy for how to develop a relationship with your conscience and be happier about your decisions is to tell yourself the truth.
In the smallest of ways catch yourself when you are lying to yourself.
- Is this in my best interest? For example, do I really want to go there? Is this depleting me? Am I treating myself with respect?
- Am I ignoring reality and pretending my behavior won’t have a detrimental effect?
- Does my behavior match my values?
- Am I looking to please people or am I helping because I care about them?
- Is my behavior reflecting a bad habit?
- Am I trying to control what is not in my control?
- How can I be of help? What am I willing to commit to? Is this a worthwhile investment of my time, resources and energy?
- Is it important to do this now or can it wait?
- Which or these things is more important to me?
It is helpful to voice the answers out loud, not for anyone else to hear, but for you to hear yourself.
If your action or inaction means you have lie to yourself, then you are betraying yourself.
This then becomes a measure of how comfortable you are in your own skin. And that tells you a lot.