There are many ways in which one may be deceitful and every single person will have succumbed to its shadowy presence to one degree or another. In a strange and mysterious way we are usually more deceitful to ourselves than we are to others. We have the ability to kid ourselves into thinking that something is right or wrong when the opposite is the case, and deliberately turn a blind eye or deaf ear to all sorts of things, or simply sweep them underneath the carpet.

Yet we do not see such actions as deceit. We might instead think in terms of "putting things off" or "self-preservation". Sometimes we might not be consciously aware that this is what we are doing; instead this type of deceit may well be an unconscious and instinctive reaction to a certain set of circumstances. But in the end, deceit hurts; it is only upon a very rare occasion that deceit does not elicit a rather high price.

If something does not sit well with you, a negative emotional reaction will instinctively be experienced. You may try to push the thoughts and feelings to the back of your mind. Sometimes this will work in that "out of sight, out of mind" manner. At other times, however, those emotions will keep on bobbing back to the surface like a cork in water. You can often find that the more effort you put into beating them away, the greater the feelings come rushing back. You can hold that cork down for as long as you like, but as soon as you let go - bam! - It pops straight back up to the surface.

Your emotions are in reality your "truth-o-meter". Your emotions are always true. Emotions do not lie. If this is how you are feeling, then that's the truth. If you for some unknown reason feel uncomfortable about something, then you should pay heed to those feelings and ask yourself why you are feeling thus. Something needs to change; this is what your emotions are trying to tell you. It helps to think of your emotions as messengers who are trying to assist you in living a happy life.

When your emotions are making you feel discomfort and you do not pay heed to those valuable messengers, then you are being deceitful to yourself. You are selling yourself short.

Perhaps this in a small way explains why we do not like to be deceitful to others or to discover that they are deceiving us. It makes us feel really bad. It's a no-win situation. How can you be truly happy when you know that you are deceiving someone else? Your emotions instinctively make you feel guilty.

Guilt and happiness do not share similar elements and are definitely not compatible. In a close relationship deceit makes you pay the highest price of all. When deceit is in evidence at whatever level, guilty feelings will always be found in hot pursuit. You may just feel guilty for not feeling guilty...but guilt will indeed be there, plotting and planning its war against happiness.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnotherapy mp3s for health, happiness and relationship issues.

P.S. You can grab a free hypnosis mp3 from my website if you like.