To Be Perfectly Honest: One Man’s Year of Almost Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life. No Lie.

by Kimberly McLaughlin

May 8, 2012

I LOVED this book. I’ve never read anything by Phil Callaway before, and to be perfectly honest I’d never heard of him until now.

First of all, the book is hilarious. It is basically a journaling of his attempt to live honestly for an entire year. Throughout the year, he definitely struggled with the truth, in fact, he failed a lot. But most, if not all of his failures end up being honestly displayed in the book. I appreciated the way he openly wrote about his thoughts and feelings. He displayed his humanity and shortcomings for all to see. Too often we try to cover up the unlovely and unbecoming parts of us, and try to pass ourselves off as perfect little angels.

It was refreshing to read a book that exposes the weaknesses in us all. I think we sometime forget that we aren’t perfect. At least I do. We try to hide our imperfections and in doing so, we become untruthful. We become liars. Phil Calloway shows us how to not take ourselves so seriously.

There were moments during his quest to live honestly, that I never would have even thought about had I not read this book. I try very hard to “be honest” as in, not lie. And, I thought I did a pretty decent job of this. But, this book made me see things differently.

Obviously, you shouldn’t go around spouting off everything you think without some kind of filter, but at the same time, why should you pretend something is okay when it’s not? Pretend to agree with something, if you don’t?

If we can’t be ourselves, then are we really living honestly? Phil Calloway may have failed at times to keep things honest, but I thought he did a tremendous job at honestly being himself.

One of the biggest things I took away from this book is the idea that I need to honestly be myself. I may not make a habit of lying, but often times I cover up and hide parts of who I truly am. I do this mainly to please others. I have a desire to make everyone around me happy, so I sacrifice little bits of myself to do that.

And, above all else, to be honest with God. Sure, he knows EVERYTHING anyway, but that doesn’t mean we are always honest with him. It doesn’t mean that we don’t try to cover up our nakedness like Adam and Eve.

This book made me laugh a million times, smile and nod a million more, and even brought me to honest tears at one point.

I’m taking away so much from this book. And, I’m going to challenge myself, not to go a year without lying, but to go a lifetime being honest.