The other day I was having lunch with my coach of over a dozen years, Chet Scott of Built to Lead. It was fun and full of amazing salads from Northstar until the Truth showed up.

And when it popped up…man did it stink.

I should have known it was coming. Chet doesn’t hold back. I’ve invited him and others to speak freely and unfiltered. They’ve helped me grow and stretch and see my shortcomings as vivid as the green lettuce in front of me.

The biggest reality I’ve learned from them is:

Truth hurts for a little. Lies hurt for a lifetime. (Share on Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn)

If you have Truth Tellers, thank God. And don’t ditch them or divorce them. You need them. We need less liars who tell us what we want to hear and more Truth Tellers who tell us what we need to hear.

Truth Tellers make you better. Here’s 3 reasons why:

1. Truth Tellers call you out

Chet called me out. He smelled unbelief and like a hound and he went after it.  He tracked down the source and uncovered the excuses. If you want to listen to the full story from Chet’s own mouth, chek out episode #8 on the Igniting Souls Audio Blog in iTunes or  listen to ‘#008 – Built to Lead’ on Audioboo

(And while on topic, thanks for your listenership. We just received the iTunes “NEW and NOTEWORTHY” ranking. Thanks Jared Easely for informing me and for the screenshot below.)

2. Truth Tellers pull you up

Truth Tellers may knock you over with the Truth, but they don’t kick you when you’re down.

Because you’re mutually committed to each other, they’re not going anywhere. Rather then running from you (and gossiping about you behind your back), they care enough to pull you up.

My wife Kelly and my business partner David do just this. They never leave me on the ground. They pull me up to new heights with encouragement and empowerment.

3. Truth Tellers draw you in

Truth Tellers aren’t always found in face-to-face conversations. Many times you’ll find them in blogs, podcasts, and books.

Make no mistake. Nothing replaces real accountability found in flesh and blood relationships. However, other resources can still draw us into deeper thinking and introspection.

One of these content creators is Chris Guillebeau. His book the $100 startup drew me in. It forced to confront the self-limiting beliefs I carried with me and exported to those around. I thought I needed so much more (time, money, knowledge) before I went from Day Job to Dream Job. Guess I didn’t, after all.

His newest book: The Happiness of Pursuit teaches you how to find the quest that will bring purpose to your life. I talk about how to become a “quester” in  episode #9 on the Igniting Souls Audio Blog. 

Look for Truth Tellers and hang onto them when you find them. And thanks Igniting Souls Tribe for the mutual Truth Telling we so often do together.

QUESTION: What’s one book that served as a Truth Teller for you?