Today, April 1st, in the United States we celebrate April Fools Day, a day to perform harmless pranks and jokes on on friends, family, coworkers, etc. But instead of joking around, I’d like to talk about something that concerns me: deception.

Or more aptly termed, self-deception.

We fool ourselves constantly. Like every single day. If you look up the word fool in the dictionary, you will find synonyms like trick, hoax, dupe, mislead, delude, bluff, sucker, bluff, swindle, cheat, defraud, and con. These are not friendly words. These are mean, hurtful acts.

And we do them to ourselves all the time.

How?

We lie to ourselves. We convince ourselves that we don’t really want what we want. We write off our dreams and hopes and aspirations as folly—another word closely related to fool. We allow our lizard brain to rationalize security and safety over a life of fulfillment, loving service, and deep contentment. 

It’s time to stop fooling ourselves.

It’s time to stop cheating ourselves out of our own best selves. It’s time to stop deluding ourselves that we are not the strong, powerful, creative individuals we truly are. It’s time to stop swindling ourselves and stop ripping ourselves off and stealing away our precious minutes.

It is okay to want what we want. It is okay to say it out loud, to speak it into existence. It is okay to have big ambitions and to work long and hard for what we want. This doesn’t have to make us selfish or vain or greedy—unless we let it. Be the creator of your life. As the poem Invictus instructs, be the master of your fate, be the captain of your soul.

The rising tide raises all ships, so the saying goes. Be the tide. Be a powerful, surging wave. When you become strong, you encourage all around you to become strong too.

Want what you want. Admit it. Own it. Share it if you feel like. Just keep the flow of inspiration open by being receptive to your own thoughts. Don’t stem the tide by deceiving yourself. When inspiration strikes, welcome it. Don’t shut it out. When a new idea comes into your mind, invite it in. Don’t slam the door on its face.

It’s time to pursue the life you were meant to have.

It’s time to stop fooling yourself.