Your Truth Will Set You Free

I’ve only ever had one mantra in my life that seemingly appeared from nowhere and that was “Speak your truth.” This phrase has become one of my North Stars this year for reasons I can't adequately explain. Maybe it's because I’ve lived most of my life not feeling like I could fully speak my truth. I was either afraid it would make the person(s) on the receiving end uncomfortable or more often, it wasn't clear to me what my truth actually was. It remained hidden, even to me.

As I uncover what I feel is true, it becomes harder to ignore. And harder to keep secret. And it's made me consider what the consequences are when we don't speak (or live) our truth.

The other day I had a visceral reaction to the very thought of telling a "white lie." I needed to tell an acquantaince that I didn’t want to attend something she invited me to. And as soon as I thought of a seemingly innocent lie I could tell her as the reasoning for why, I was repulsed by it. (Cue scene from Jim Carey's character in "Liar, Liar.") The anxiety started to bubble up; I felt nervous butterflies in my stomach. "Why not just tell the truth?" I thought. So I did. And I felt so much better for it.

There's something so incredibly freeing about living your truth as well. When I tap into what I actually think and feel, I can form a better understanding of what is true to me. This allows for easier decision-making, and I no longer feel the guilt from "should" obligations.

And although it may not be easier in the short-term to communicate your truth; it makes life easier in the long-term. It felt incredibly awkward to send that truth-bearing text declining her offer and my reason for why. But I feel so much more at peace knowing I told her the truth.

You can spend oodles of time thinking, predicting, and agonizing about what other people think. But you're the only one who knows what's true for you. Once you focus on your truth, everything else seems to fall into place as. This is akin to living in alignment.

I recently heard of an Integrity Cleanse* where you try speaking and living your truth for a certain period, with the hope that you'll implement it for life. The reason for said cleanse is to help you become more at peace. And as discussed last week, peace is the goal; happiness will then follow. Whether this inspires you to think before telling a seemingly innocent half-truth or a full-blown integrity cleanse, I sincerely hope you find your truth and feel empowered to speak it.

*Don't feel like working through a 71-page workbook? A summary of Martha Beck's Integrity Cleanse can be found here.