We all have our stories and our truths. We’ve gathered them from our life experiences – what we were taught in our early years and what we have learned during this lifetime. We hold onto these experiences and learning as our truths. But what exactly is truth?
I remember my first foray into personal psychotherapy decades ago. Early on, I told Carol, a Christian psychologist, that I just wanted to know what was true. Then I could act on that, follow the rules associated with that truth, and be happy. I’d been depressed most of my life for a myriad of reasons. Nothing I’d tried, nothing I’d learned, nothing I’d done had lifted me out of the despair. Yes, there were moments of happiness, of feeling good, but underneath it all was this hopelessness and fear. So, maybe there was a truth out there that I didn’t know about, a path to happiness, that would change all that. Didn’t Jesus say “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (Jn8:32)?
I really don’t remember her answer, which is strange because this was my QUESTION! This would CHANGE MY LIFE. What I do remember is a gradual shift from thinking the answer was out there somewhere to finding my truth within me. I began to let go of the layers of emotional entanglements I had formed in my life, the stuck places that kept me mired in fear. I began to trust my inner knowing, my own truth, my own divinity.
My stories are a combination of what I have experienced (situations) and the emotions I felt at the time (reactions). Until I recognized this, I continued to be stuck in emotional reactions from the past that then began to affect all of my present and future experiences.
I’ve let go of trying to find a truth out there that will bring me happiness, that will bring peace and joy to everyone. One size does not fit all…that is spurious thinking. Anyone or any belief system that suggests otherwise is false. I say this because it keeps us stuck in trying to make a limited understanding of our world the truth for everyone. What is true for me does not necessarily resonate as true for another.
Are there universal truths? Yes. I’ve written about Christ Consciousness or Unity Consciousness before…that place of wisdom that comes from letting go of what we think we know. This wisdom encompasses a higher, divine perspective of compassion, harmony, love, respect for self and others, service to others, peace and joy. Wisdom comes from clearing old emotional baggage from our thoughts and beliefs. This is a path to remembering who we are as divine beings, here in this body, having human experiences.
Awareness –> Emotional Release –> Insight –> Integration
We become aware of some thought or behaviour that doesn’t fit with our divine Self. When asked, the divinity we know is ready to assist in making us aware of these. There is usually an emotional reaction attached. We don’t have to dig for anything…that emotion is right there waiting to be released. Just allow it to come up – often other situations with similar reactions will come up as well. Once released, we are open to new insights from a higher, divine perspective. Integration happens naturally as we allow this wisdom to permeate our new way of being.
I learned the simplicity and efficacy of sharing wisdom through stories from the Indigenous tradition of teaching. Most of us have been taught facts, theories and rules. Trying to change the thoughts and beliefs of others by challenging them in the old ways or spoon feeding them information just gives them more facts from their external world which may or may not be true for them.
Stories, once cleared of old emotional attachments, provide guidance with room for exploration of how the lesson might fit for the listener. I encourage you to give attention to your own stories, clearing them and sharing them when asked. The possibilities of all being lifted up into Unity or Christ Consciousness increase exponentially. Generalizability is real, and it can begin within you.
[avatar size=”thumbnail” align=”left”]Quan Yin – goddess of compassion [/avatar]
by Eloecea
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Header image courtesy of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope
THE QUESTION, what just what I needed to hear (again) in this moment. Thank you
The stories are my hope
Stories are great builders of hope – as we gather our own stories of letting go of old and allowing new, we bring together a history of opening into more love, compassion, joy, and all that we desire through our divine selves. What a foundation from which to live and love and have our being!
Eloecea
I don’t recall the conversation specifically but I think we probably discussed it at length and on a continuing basis. I knew you well enough by then to know you would never be satisfied with being told what you had to believe was “the truth” and their was a concrete answer. for that concept. And even though I came from a fundamental Christian background and had some basic beliefs that I lived by, I I realized “the truth” was individual and much more elusive. We didn’t come to a conclusion back then. I miss those discussions.
Me, too, Carol…me, too! Thank you for reminding me that the journey to our own truth is long and that friendships are so very important along the way. Perhaps you and I have more discussions in our future :).
I’m hoping these writings stimulate that kind of discussion with family and friends of those who read them – or continuing the conversation here in the comments. A desire to share new possibilities, emotional reactions, whatever comes up can help each of us open to a higher perspective and will also help us clean up our stories and clarify our truths. I’d love to hear what’s happening with all of you…thank you for opening this with your thoughts, Carol.