What is personal truth? How do we find it? The search for our truth is a search for who we really are. It requires introspection but, the introspective path does not go without the danger of finding less than pleasant truths about ourselves.
One of my goals this year is to figure out what personal truth really is. Recently I read an article on “truth” (which in my line of work is almost non-existent). Here are my take-aways (and probably the reasons why I don’t like to look inwards):
Fear: When we begin to examine ourselves and uncover what has been hidden, we see the pent-up fear almost immediately. Who wants to look directly at fear? So, we usually close the door and walk away.
Dark Side: When being introspective, some less than perfect and pleasant aspects of ourselves become apparent. While it isn’t fun to own up to personal flaws, if a person is willing to see the chinks in their armor, the real work of becoming a more genuine and transparent person can begin.
Painful Personal History: Memories of past wrongs that you’ve either committed or that have been committed upon you hang on through the tapes in your mind and spring out at the slightest provocation. So, we have a tendency to stuff our personal history and not try to resolve it.
In the end, we are products of our history, but we don’t need to be controlled by our history. We can find our own truth – which will help us eliminate the resentment, hurt, and blame of our past.
I believe that once we learn who we are, we can see how to get to where we want to go. Looking inward and being honestly introspection can help us understand our negative tapes and self-assumptions. Those tapes are, of course, false and identifying that will help us to move forward to correct our feelings and behaviors related to those negative tapes. Moreover, knowing who you really are will lead to a more healthy and intentional life. Decisions become easier and you will begin to ignore the “junk” that people try to put on you.
This notion of truth is critical for our children. Helping them know and accept themselves will allow them to make better decisions when faced with the pressures of their peers and lead a happier and more productive life. This is not easy to get their arms around. Again, a work in progress.
I hope you all take one quiet moment today to look inward — to enjoy the good (and the not-so-good) of what you see. It will be the start of a worthwhile journey.
theyearof50 