Why I Lived a Lie for Six Stressful Months

I was in the process of earning my doctorate degree in clinical hypnosis (DCH), at the same time seeing clients and dealing with a houseful of teenagers (most of whom were throw-away kids with nowhere else to live).

The degree program typically covered a span of two years, but when I received a letter saying, “Congratulations! You’ve completed all of the required subjects for your degree,” I was elated and somewhat surprised, thinking Gee, that time went by fast! and I began announcing to friends, “I’ve done it! I’ve earned my doctorate!”

When I contacted the Institute to find out about the graduation ceremony, however, I was told that I now needed to navigate x number of elective subjects! I had only completed half the program! To this day I can remember the feelings of utter dismay and embarrassment. How could I have been so naive? My only excuse is that life was hectic, and it was easy enough to lose track of time and details. It would have been really awkward running around trying to remember who I had bragged to prematurely in order to recant, but I was secretly horrified about having unintentionally misrepresented my academic status.

I asked the classic question that has saved my... backside... soooo many times: How can I fix this? Answer: I promoted my secretary from part time to full time, asked my husband and the teens to run our household, and -- except for seeing clients -- I dedicated every waking moment to study and research (which culminated in more than 500 pages of written material and, I might add, nearly perfect marks!) In order to live up to the image I had been presenting, I completed the year’s worth of study in six months.

I believe that action should support truth, even if it takes time, effort and sacrifice to get there! I see and hear others playing fast and loose with words in sales and self-promotion, but that's their choice, not mine. If truth is tweaked to sound good with no actual substance, well, it isn't truth, is it?

Call me old fashioned.