A pivotal point I came to on my own journey was the conscious decision to be authentic in all my dealings with other people.

That means being exactly the same person on the outside, as I am on the inside.

It sounds little, but it's much.

Not, "To be or not to be," but rather, "to be, or to appear to be."

That does not mean that I have no privacy. Things that only concern me, that have no impact on anyone other than me, I will keep private if that is my preference.

Toxic secrets though, are nothing to do with privacy. They are an infringement of a persons right to know what the truth is , because they are affected by the thing that is being hidden. They have a right to know what forces are acting upon them.

Toxic secrets really are toxic. They are corrosive to the secret-keeper, and they are corrosive to the relationship concerned.

I would confess every time, because I value my integrity more than my comfort.