The Importance of Truth for an Authentic Life

Truth is an important quality to work with. Put simply, it’s the art of knowing thy self. This artwork involves becoming familiar with our desires, assumptions, world views, and beliefs so that we become perceptive to the life we are painting.

The opposite of Truth is denial. The downside to denial is that we prolong dysfunctional relationships and life circumstances. In other words, we become tolerant of our “unhappiness.” This happens because it’s convenient, but also partly because we have no solid ground to take the next step forward.

For instance, we learn to tolerate a dysfunctional marriage even though our heart longs to move on; we deny our sexuality for the fear of being ostracized by our friends, family, or community; or maybe we avoid looking at our bank account because we know there’s more debt than money coming in.

Truth is often scary and painful. A good dose of Truth is like ripping off a band-aid that has been on the skin for too long. We will need courage because the pain is coming. The fear of the pain, however, is always greater in imagination than in reality.

Once the pain has passed there is a sigh of relief. We notice something has changed. The ground beneath us feels more solid than before. The wounds of denial are healing. We feel a bit healthier and a bit stronger to show up and move forward with integrity.

Truth is a beautiful gem because it is honest. When we are honest and truthful, each brush stroke made in our life is more authentic, original, and inclusive.