Inspired by Minute with Maxwell

In a recent “Minute with Maxwell” episode, Jared Kaggel shared a powerful story about honesty – a quality that is often simple in theory, but deeply transformative in practice.

He told the story of three boys in Jackson, Mississippi, who were late to school after spending their morning fishing. They crafted a lie about having a flat tire, hoping it would spare them any consequences. But their teacher, wise and calm, split them up and gave them a one question test: “Which tire was flat?” That single question exposed their story, and the lie quickly unraveled.

This simple moment speaks volumes: being dishonest might seem like an easy escape in the moment, but it often leads to more confusion, stress, and backtracking. On the other hand, honesty clears the path forward. As Jared said, “When you’re honest, you can spend so much more time moving forward than retracing your steps.”

But here’s something even deeper to reflect on – honesty isn’t just about telling the truth. It’s about living in peace with yourself. When you’re honest, you’re not carrying the burden of hiding, pretending, or fearing you’ll be found out. You’re free. You’re light. And most importantly, you’re aligned with who you truly are.

In a world where it’s tempting to bend the truth to avoid conflict or discomfort, remember this: truth spoken with peace is a strength, not a weakness. You don’t have to be aggressive to be honest. You can be kind, clear, and courageous – speaking truth in love, both to yourself and to others.

So today, let’s choose honesty. Let’s choose peace. And let’s move forward without the weight of pretending, knowing that truth always gives us a stronger foundation to stand on.