My father died never knowing that his father was not his biological father. In case your wondering why that matters, my father carried the pain to his grave of not understanding why the father that raised him did not treat him as well as he did my father's siblings. I believe had he known the truth, it would have made a difference.
As a teenager I was blessed with a wise friend who said to me, "Any separation from the truth is a painful delay". As I wrote his impactful words on my wall, I etched them into my values. Ever since, telling the truth has been my first commandment.
What is the truth? The truth is the same as reality, it is, what is. The truth is the fact, it is simple, clear, with no story built around it. It just is. The truth is universal, when someone speaks it, everyone knows it. Bodies are excellent truth tellers, although a mind can be easily deceived, every body has a built in capacity to distinguish right from wrong. When we touch the essence or truth of something, the body relaxes, it feels right.
As an adversary of truth telling I am surprised at how often I hear the same response, "I can't tell the truth, that would hurt them". I imagine it was all these folks who got together and came up with the slogan, "what you don't know won't hurt you". Perhaps they are right, not knowing may not hurt, but denial certainly doesn't promote growth, intimacy or personally responsibility. The truth, like anything else, can be offered in compassion or not. Yes, sometimes the truth does hurt. Compassionately attending to the truth requires presence, acceptance and self responsibility which are all elements of consciousness and care.
Love requires honesty. How can we be truly intimate if we are holding back what we think and feel? How can we trust one another if we are not being honest? Unless we reveal who we really are, who we really are is never going to be loved. The parts of us that we most want to deny are the very parts most in need of love. Without our willingness to the tell the truth, our wholeness, self acceptance and integration haven't got a chance. Telling the truth may be scary and make some waves, but the benefits of doing so are as clear as the writing on that teenager's bedroom wall.
TO BEGIN ....
Ask yourself..... What I am afraid to say is.....
or, What haven't I been willing to admit to myself?
Take turns with a friend requesting -"Tell me the truth as fast as you can"
Complete this sentence with your friends; "What I have been withholding from you is...."
"And, the truth shall set you free".
ShastaSpirit
P.O. Box 436., Mount Shasta, CA 96067 USA
Phone: 530-926-6530
Web site: http://www.shastaspirit.com
E-mail: delight@shastaspirit.com
Page design by Danielle Light-ShastaSpirit
ShastaSpirit website copyright © 1998 by Danielle Light. All rights reserved.