I met Lita and Channy for breakfast this morning, and Lita said something that made me stop and think. When Channy asked her something personal, Lita said (with a smirk): “Do you really want to know what I think about that, or do you want me to sugar-coat it?”

We’re funny that way, aren’t we? If Lita hadn’t framed it like that, I’m sure Channy would have secretly wanted the gentle, sugar-coated answer. I think by nature we all hope to hear only what we want to hear.

But when we have it positioned as “truth versus feelings,” it seems to trigger the realistic portion of our mind; it’s as if we take a step back and evaluate what really is in our best interest.

We often need the outside perspective of another person to fully see and hear what’s best for us. It’s probably one of the traits that makes us a social species, rather than lone wolves. We do indeed need each other, and this is simply another reason why.

And, for what it’s worth, Channy didn’t appreciate the truth she heard from Lita. That’s definitely another journal entry for another day…

(Okay, Galahad fans, it’s your turn to sound off. What do you think of Triana’s idea that we really do need each other in order to see the truth? Do you find that, if left to yourself, you tend to either lie to yourself about something, or pretend to not see the true answers? Do you think that your friends really want you to be honest with them all the time, or do they maybe only want you to reinforce their own feelings about something? How do you balance that? Feel free to not only post your thoughts here, but also know that you’re encouraged to share Triana’s posts with your friends. Thanks for supporting the Galahad series!)

We’re creeping up on the end of a calendar year. It seems people often use this time to do two things: reflect on choices they’ve made over the past year, and think about what they might do better.

When I was twelve, I remember a New Year’s resolution that my dad shared with me. He said: “In this next year I plan to aim higher.” I must have given him a curious look, so he explained.

He told me that it was something he learned from his own father. “Too many times we don’t give ourselves enough credit,” he said. “We set our sights low, thinking that anything else would be too difficult to reach. But, what we find is that ‘doing just enough’ often doesn’t bring us a sense of fulfillment. And, surprisingly, by aiming a little higher we find that it brings out the best in us. In fact, it brings out qualities and talents that we might never know we had.”

It was one of the few lessons that my dad repeated to me over the years, as if he couldn’t stress enough how important it was to set higher goals, to run an extra half-mile, or to study just a few minutes longer. No, I don’t always achieve every single goal…but I accomplish way more than I would if I simply settled.

No matter where we are in our lives, no matter what our circumstances, and no matter what obstacles might stand in our way, we always have the option of aiming higher. And, in the process, we just might discover things we never before thought possible. It might be the best resolution we can make.

(It’s your turn, Galahad fans. Do you aim high? Or are you satisfied with just getting by, with doing ‘good enough’? Do you think it’s connected to your confidence? Is it a trait that you’re born with, or do you think it’s a strategy that can be learned? As always, you’re encouraged to share your thoughts right here. And thank you for visiting Club Galahad often!)