practicing honesty in relationships

Once, a young boy and girl were enjoying a pleasant afternoon playing outside in their neighborhood together. The boy showed the girl his collection of beautiful, unique marbles. In turn, the girl showed the boy the handful of candy that she had just gotten for her birthday.

The boy proposed that the two of them switch – he would give her all of his marbles if she handed over all of her candy. The girl liked the idea and agreed, as she found the marbles to be beautiful as well.

The boy handed over all of his marbles to her, but kept one – the most exquisite one of them all – in his pocket. The girl kept her promise and gave the boy all of her candy.

That night, the girl was happy with the exchange and peacefully went to sleep.

The boy, however, couldn’t sleep, as he was up wondering if the girl had secretly kept some of her candy, just like he did with the marble.

. . . 

When it comes to building and sustaining relationships, romantic or otherwise, you must focus on giving wholeheartedly. If you want your relationships to thrive, instead of paying attention to what you’re getting, you must ask yourself, “What am I giving to the other person?”

You have to become vulnerable and bring your guard down. Unless you give your 100% in a relationship, you’ll always have a persisting doubt within you that the other person is also not giving their 100% either. 

Long-lasting relationships are built on the foundation of trust. You have to let go of your resistance and your fears and become an open and selfless participant.

Honesty is not only the easiest route but it also builds virtue and character. When you become honest in your relationships, you set an example and hold other people accountable to do the same. 

When you and the other person make honesty your primary focus in relationships, you also become more intentional with your choices and make the right decisions. You don’t want to hurt either the other person or the relationship. This not only keeps things in perspective, but also helps you honor and nurture the relationship in the best way possible.