The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self

by Martha Beck

EXERCISE: Detecting your hustle If you found out that some of the things you do every day come from culture, not your true nature, you’re hustling up your own version of Mount Delectable. Are you ready to get radically honest about that? Then ask yourself the following questions, and pause after each until you can feel the real answer. (Again, you don’t have to do anything except allow for internal recognition of the real situation. Just notice the difference between things you genuinely love to do and things you do for other reasons.) Do you ever hang out with people you don’t truly enjoy? Who are they? Do you consistently make yourself do anything (or many things) you don’t really want to do? Make a list. Are there things you do solely out of fear that not doing them will upset someone, or lower your value in someone else’s eyes? What are they? Are there any times in your daily life where you’re consistently pretending to be happier or more interested than you really are? In what areas (relationships, job activities, places) do you tend to do this? Do you ever say things you know aren’t true, or things you don’t really, truly mean? What are they?