Honesty is the first and most basic step to being happiy and healthy. It is not a surprise that it is teh first step in the 12-steps as well. The 12-steps are not just for addicts or people who believe in God. As a clinician I have developed an appreciation for how simply enacting the spiritual principles of the 12-Steps can drastically improve anxiety, depression, anger and addiction. Spirituality is more than just religion, it is a way of life. These principles are present in every religion, and are helpful even for those who are not religious. Lets take a look…
Honesty. The first step in being happy is to be honest, not only with others, but also yourself. This means developing a strong awareness of self, what you like and need, what you truly can control, and your feelings and what they mean. Many people who are depressed, anxious or addicted fail to realize the real reasons for their misery. They see the immediate answer—what triggered the negativity this time. What they fail to realize is that their fears and/or anger is usually all related to one or more deeper causes. Humans have six basic fears: isolation, failure, rejection, loss of control, death...