God hates lies, and so do I. Nothing makes me madder than realizing that someone has lied to me. Why is it then, that with some regularity I not only tell myself lies but also proceed to live as if they are truths? Could it be that lies enable me to do things I know I should not do?
Lie #1: I don’t need a cart. Grocery store shopping carts and I have a long and bitter history. They dislike me intensely, and they prove this by wobbling, skidding, refusing to be turned, making thumping sounds, and jitterbugging across aisles every time I try to use them. Therefore, I resist getting a cart on trips to the store. “After all, I’m getting only a few things,” I reason. Fifteen minutes later, other shoppers chuckle and give a wide berth to the middle-aged woman, her arms laden with boxes, bags, and bottles, a loaf of bread precariously squished between her left shoulder and ear, a bag of rice clutched between her teeth, pushing a gallon of milk with her foot, sheepishly heading toward the checkout. The truth is this: I almost always need a cart.
Lie #2: I will lie down and nap for about 15 minutes. One of my greatest pleasures in life is daytime sleeping. I fantasize about taking afternoon naps the way other people fantasize about owning sports cars or winning the lottery. Invariably, however, when I lie down to nap, I sleep for hours. I go into the deepest level of sleep and then resist getting up as strenuously as I do when my alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m. Setting my oven timer, microwave timer, clothes dryer timer, and cell phone timer does not help. Those annoying blasts, shrieks, whistles and rings only force me to get up and race all over the house slamming down buttons before running back and covering up to sleep for another hour. The truth is this: I take long naps.
Lie #3: I will start some good habits tomorrow. Starting tomorrow I will display a positive, pleasant attitude. I will eat reasonably, exercise faithfully, and clean everything in my house that needs to be cleaned. I will encourage my friends, dispense words of wisdom to my children and grandchildren, honor God and serve humanity. In short, I will be the Proverbs 31 woman in spades. The truth is this: Unless I expend a great amount of effort, I will be the same person tomorrow that I am today.
Investigate the lies that you live by and then challenge them. You will find that each one serves a purpose in your life, but it isn’t a good one. Commit to speaking the truth to yourself about yourself. Lies excuse bad behaviors but the truth can set you free.
The Happy Geranium 
How true. I’m good at the “just-a-short-nap” lie, too. But I’m even better at, “I’ll just play one more game of Solitaire and then I’ll quit and go to bed”. Since I am also an English nut, (although you couldn’t tell it from the previous two sentences), tell me if you think there might be two ways to break down your verb usage in one of your sentences. You wrote, (correctly, I’m sure), “Setting my oven timer, microwave timer, clothes dryer timer, and cell phone timer does not help.” I understand that if the subject is the gerund ‘setting’, it would agree with the verb ‘does help’. But couldn’t the subject also be interpreted as setting this, setting this, setting this, and setting this adding up to a plural subject (setting these or even settings) which would require using ‘do help’ as the verb? I’m just wondering since I still write magazine articles occasionally, and I like to keep myself sharp (or as sharp as an aging, baby-boomer brain can be). I am also still selling about 100 of my books a year, which brings me revenues of about $1000 per year. (Oooh, notice the similar selling/brings or selling books/bring dilemma although this one is more obvious as to which one is correct.) A person would never get rich writing how-to books for such specific audiences, but the checks are still nice. 😊 Julie
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Boy did this one ever speak to me. Well two out of three do. Although I’ve been know to go back for a cart. Are you sure it wasn’t meant especially for me.. Number three I’m sure will apply to almost anybody, but seems to be my mirror lately. Hoping The Daniel Plan will help me work on that.
Thank you again Debbie for knowing just what to say and when to say it. You are an inspiration. Shirley
Yes this article reminds of the saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.” I do it all the time. Unfortunately. But I ALWAYS get a cart! 😉 I love your writings.
Debbie, just read this one. You are so good with words. I agree. We need to challenge what we tell ourselves, daily. The evil one is always whispering half-truths to us just like he did in the very beginning. Thanks!