Now, I am not one of those who are going to tell you that in order to have a great life, you have to tell the whole truth, nothing but the truth, all day and every day, so help you God. That's flat out impossible and not a little bit wrong. The little white lies that allow us to avoid hurting one another, the ability to leave out parts of an otherwise honest assessment that are irrelevant and potentially destructive and the ability to know something true and not say anything at all, because it is neither our business nor our place to do so, are vital skills that help create a great life, rather than preclude it.

Rather, truth in this case means knowing what is good and honest and true about yourself and your life. It is knowing what is authentic for you, what upholds your integrity and what diminishes it. It is understanding what is true for you in any situation and understanding as well that this may not be true for anyone else involved in the same situation - and that this variance in truth is both expected and valid. It is about not lying to yourself (and you'll know when you do, if you allow yourself to look hard enough). It is about knowing when it is right to take a stand on an issue of importance to you, and when it is better to compromise or give in to preserve the peace or support another's success. It is about grasping the truth that love is the foundation of the Universe and that all else is either decoration or distraction - and knowing when you're acting in denial of this reality.

How are you living in truth? How are you in denial of it? What can you do to center your life more firmly around truth, integrity and authenticity? Truth is not always easy, especially when we are so good at justification and otherwise diminishing cognitive dissonance (the jarring tension between how we act and what we know to be right) in our lives. But truth is worth it, and we cannot lead lives of greatness without it. Greatness depends on truth and truth, greatness. Neither exists where the other fails.