"It was lovely to read your recent message and to try to regain hope when this country is putting out a completely negative, fear filled message. It is only through respect and caring that we can have a viable, vital, creative country. Thank you for having your voice out there in this direction."

Beulah Downing

The following excerpt is from my new book The Politics of Hope: Reviving the Dream of Democracy.

Tell the Truth For Only 24 Hours!

Are you willing to accept a difficult challenge? Tell the truth, the complete truth and nothing but the truth for one day! Are you ready for the challenge? Here are the rules. When you awake tomorrow morning be aware this is the day you will be completely truthful until you go to bed. Make a commitment to yourself, silently, to speak the complete truth all the time. If you are late for an appointment, no little white lies. State the facts and the truth. If you notice when you are prone to stretch the truth, look at the circumstances.

Make notes throughout the day and record even the slightest tendency to lie. (Call it what it is. If we don't tell the total truth, we are lying.) Reflect at the end of the day how often you were tempted to lie.

• What circumstances tended to make you be untruthful?
• How did you feel when you told the truth in situations when you normally tell a small lie?
• Did you notice more self integrity when you told the truth? Was there an added sense of empowerment?

This may be one of the most difficult exercises you will face and the insights are enduring, if you are truthful to yourself.

Truth and integrity is essential for all of us and a must for conscious public leaders. Begin telling the truth in the smallest of everyday situations and it will be easier to tell the truth when it really matters!

Let's Talk America! --- A nationwide movement to bring Americans from all points on the political spectrum together in cafes, bookstores, churches and living rooms for lively, open-hearted dialogue to consider questions essential to our democracy.

Let's Talk America! trusts that what we have in common may be greater than we realize - while what divides us may be less than we imagine.

As the partisan rhetoric of this presidential campaign season heats up, Let's Talk America is a safe meeting ground, giving people across the political map permission to have thoughtful, respectful conversations with people they may disagree with. People are beginning to hold these important conversations around the country already. You may participate as a host or guest.

Just go to www.letstalkamerica.org to find resources to equip you to be a host and to find or post conversations in your community.