The gift of honesty.
I recently gave a presentation to three close friends that connects to a new coaching program I’m developing.
After spending hours refining the presentation, and standing in front of them for 45 minutes as I bared my soul, I was given gentle ideas from two of the three. They said mostly positive things, with a couple of minor suggestions.
And then I asked the third friend for his opinion.
What followed was an intricate, detailed and thorough destruction of a presentation that I was heavily emotionally invested in. He wasn’t nasty, he wasn’t being a jerk, and he wasn’t just shooting from the hip.
He took the presentation apart like a surgeon, and I felt like I was a child being called out by a teacher. It wasn’t fun, it wasn’t pleasant, and it certainly wasn’t easy.
And it was EXACTLY what I expected him to do. That was why I asked him to come, and he didn’t disappoint.
He’s a good friend because I never have to question his intentions, and I never have to wonder if he is holding something back. He’s a brilliant guy, and one of the most morally grounded people I’ve ever met.
The suggestions he gave will help me to serve many more people, because the presentation will be so much more effective.
In a world where people shade their opinions, hide behind omissions and put self above truth, this guy doesn’t. He’s never cruel, but he tells it like he sees it, and he sees things very clearly.
I love that he will call time out on my pity party, and tell me if he thinks I am acting less than my highest self. He’s always willing to have his mind changed, but it doesn’t change easy.
He invites me to be the best I can be, while allowing me to be human.
The greatest gift he gives me is his honesty. It’s combined with kindness, and a humility that doesn’t come around too often.
The truth is that being around him can be hard sometimes, because I get wrapped up in my own ego, and defensive when I should be open. But he has helped me grow beyond some of my weaknesses, and into a better person.
I hope you have a friend like him in your life, because his gift of honesty has enlightened my soul.
-- Dr. Alan Barnes
@maddrbmusings