How do you respond or react to your own truth? How do you respond or react to someone revealing their truth to you? I have noticed that my responses to hearing truths about myself has changed over time. In the past, I tended to react more than respond. In responding, a conscious choice is made. A reaction is an unconscious one. For me, reactions are fewer and fewer, but I still get surprised at times.
Most of us think of the truth as something to be evaluated as it’s occurring outside of ourselves, as with politics or current affairs. Mostly, those are opinions and evaluations that get filtered through our own (often hidden) personal truths. Sometimes, if we can’t face our own truth, we attempt to force others face theirs. Or, we think that what’s true for us must be true or right for others.
Here, I want to focus on personal truths. I’m speaking of what is true to you now, in a particular area of your life, but is not involved with being right or wrong. Sharing that truth can elicit some discomfort, feelings of being exposed or even shame. Your truths don’t have to be Earth shattering to create this kind of a reaction. Truths are perspectives that often make us uncomfortable, but can also remain on our minds for a time, as we try to accept them. To some of you reading the last sentence, you may have experienced a subtle internal gripping feeling. Check in with yourself. Is that true for you? Are you willing to discover and admit even a little of that as a possibility? Or, do you simply have a habitual reaction of pushing or turning away from simple truths?
Truths aren’t inherently negative, but often our reaction to them has do to with discomfort. And for most of us, discomfort must be avoided. As a result, we tend to automatically react or reject hearing truths.
So, when we shut off our ability to hear truths, because of their potential for discomfort, we shut off our access to ourselves and to growth. I’m not saying that personal growth has to do with discomfort, but often, we reach for comfort at the expense of who we are. Many times, that truth is about claiming our greatness, power, and our God or Goddess qualities.
Often times, those truths were blocked away long ago. So long ago, it’s as if they are no longer true. How untrue! The gripping or avoidance of the discomfort is an emotional reaction to something that’s uncomfortable. This is also a protection mechanism. Protecting us from unwanted feelings, but also from our own truth.
In reacting, you are at the mercy of what is unresolved in your life.
If we choose to ponder the “why” connected to our reactions, usually a blind spot is revealed - things done unconsciously. These blind spots become so practiced that we are no longer aware of the choices that originally created the reactive behavior. All human beings have blind spots; this is true of everyone, including our spiritual and political leaders. This phenomenon binds us as human beings. For me, this indicates how we are inextricably connected and truly need one other to help reveal these personal blind spots. Accepting your blind spots is not always easy or pleasant as it’s the ego’s task to keep those blind spots in place. Attempting to reveal your blind spots all by yourself is virtually impossible. An empowered person is committed to becoming aware of these blind spots and the unconscious choices that created them.
The reality about revealing truth is that it will almost always illicit emotions. For many people, the feeling of exposure dominates. It can also bring up fear or shame, the desire to isolate, escape reality, collapse into drama, or the desire to hurt or dominate another person. These are some powerful indicators that you are having a reaction to something. This reaction cycle needs to be broken in order to grow. In order to do that a person needs to reach out for help. A friend, a trusted family member, a therapist or spiritual guide. Someone other than yourself. You must make peace with your wounded emotion and learn how to flow, express and release this feeling energy. Resistance only serves to break you down. It does not protect you.
Alas, “The truth shall set you free.”
Most of us think of the truth as something to be evaluated as it’s occurring outside of ourselves, as with politics or current affairs. Mostly, those are opinions and evaluations that get filtered through our own (often hidden) personal truths. Sometimes, if we can’t face our own truth, we attempt to force others face theirs. Or, we think that what’s true for us must be true or right for others.
Here, I want to focus on personal truths. I’m speaking of what is true to you now, in a particular area of your life, but is not involved with being right or wrong. Sharing that truth can elicit some discomfort, feelings of being exposed or even shame. Your truths don’t have to be Earth shattering to create this kind of a reaction. Truths are perspectives that often make us uncomfortable, but can also remain on our minds for a time, as we try to accept them. To some of you reading the last sentence, you may have experienced a subtle internal gripping feeling. Check in with yourself. Is that true for you? Are you willing to discover and admit even a little of that as a possibility? Or, do you simply have a habitual reaction of pushing or turning away from simple truths?
Truths aren’t inherently negative, but often our reaction to them has do to with discomfort. And for most of us, discomfort must be avoided. As a result, we tend to automatically react or reject hearing truths.
So, when we shut off our ability to hear truths, because of their potential for discomfort, we shut off our access to ourselves and to growth. I’m not saying that personal growth has to do with discomfort, but often, we reach for comfort at the expense of who we are. Many times, that truth is about claiming our greatness, power, and our God or Goddess qualities.
Often times, those truths were blocked away long ago. So long ago, it’s as if they are no longer true. How untrue! The gripping or avoidance of the discomfort is an emotional reaction to something that’s uncomfortable. This is also a protection mechanism. Protecting us from unwanted feelings, but also from our own truth.
In reacting, you are at the mercy of what is unresolved in your life.
If we choose to ponder the “why” connected to our reactions, usually a blind spot is revealed - things done unconsciously. These blind spots become so practiced that we are no longer aware of the choices that originally created the reactive behavior. All human beings have blind spots; this is true of everyone, including our spiritual and political leaders. This phenomenon binds us as human beings. For me, this indicates how we are inextricably connected and truly need one other to help reveal these personal blind spots. Accepting your blind spots is not always easy or pleasant as it’s the ego’s task to keep those blind spots in place. Attempting to reveal your blind spots all by yourself is virtually impossible. An empowered person is committed to becoming aware of these blind spots and the unconscious choices that created them.
The reality about revealing truth is that it will almost always illicit emotions. For many people, the feeling of exposure dominates. It can also bring up fear or shame, the desire to isolate, escape reality, collapse into drama, or the desire to hurt or dominate another person. These are some powerful indicators that you are having a reaction to something. This reaction cycle needs to be broken in order to grow. In order to do that a person needs to reach out for help. A friend, a trusted family member, a therapist or spiritual guide. Someone other than yourself. You must make peace with your wounded emotion and learn how to flow, express and release this feeling energy. Resistance only serves to break you down. It does not protect you.
Alas, “The truth shall set you free.”