Living Your Truth
The sum total of your truth is everything you are, and not just one facet of your life.
Recently, I watched a television show in which first-graders were discussing their truth. They were saying unbelievable things about discovering and recognizing their truth. They also emphasized what their truth was. They seemed to be confident about what they were saying. The six-year-old boys and girls were talking about the same things that are heard in adult conversations about their orientation.
How could they know so much about their truth when they still watch animated SpongeBob SquarePants about a yellow sea sponge who lives in a furnished submerged pineapple at the bottom of the sea along with his aquatic friends? How could they be so sure of their truth when they still believe in Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, and the tooth fairy?
We must admit that saying, "my truth" today is not what the expression meant years ago. We know what the young elementary school children were talking about and what most adults are adamant about, but let's set the record straight by exploring long-established definitions of "truth."
Truth: Definition
According to most dictionaries, "Truth is factual and real." In other words, what is true is the opposite of what is false.
In the way "my truth" is used today, it is limited to a person's preference for a life partner. However, the truth is much more than that limitation.
So, What Is Truth?
Truth is what a person really is. It is his core values, personality, beliefs, thoughts, and those immovable things embedded within him, no matter what happens in his life.
Truth is not a temporary feeling that changes from day to day. It is a principle within a person that is not easily changed or substituted for something else. One's personal truth is that standard by which he is comfortable living even when it might not fit the pattern of others.
A person's truth is actually the sum total of everything he is, and not just one facet of his life. It is that which is cemented into his inner being.
What It Means to Live Your Truth
A lot of people talk about "living their truth." What does that mean? To live your truth simply means being your most authentic self. You are your authentic self when you do not imitate anyone else or compare yourself to others. You do what brings you peace and joy by living according to your core beliefs, personality, gifts, talents, likes, and dislikes.
Living your truth is not trying to fit in when God wants you to stand out.
When you live your truth, you refuse to let others dictate your life by telling you what to do and what not to do just because they want you to live by their standards. Some people want you to give them the key to your life so they can come and go into your life as they please without giving you the respect and privacy you desire and deserve.
How to Know If You Are Living Your Truth
There are some ways to know if you are living your truth.
- You are content in every area of your life: work, relationships, finances, etc.
- You don't compare yourself to others.
- You don't rely on the advice, approval, or validation from ungodly people.
- You don't do the things you don't want to do just to please others.
- You say, "Yes" to things that are meaningful to you and "No" to things that mean nothing to you.
- You don't depend on others to tell you how to think and act like them.
- You accept the way you are.
Humorous:
"I once tried to be like someone else. I got so bored that I immediately returned to being myself."
What To Do If You Are Not Living Your Truth
There is good news if you are not living your truth. The good news is that it is never too late to start. You can start by evaluating your life to determine which of the seven statements above apply to you.
When you make changes in your life, don't be shocked if you begin to lose friends who have been accustomed to telling you what to do. Don't be bruised when family members get upset with you because you refuse to allow them to continue bossing you around.
Call To Action
If you found some "truth" in this article, let me know by liking, sharing, and commenting. Feel free to add your remarks about "living your truth."
About the Creator
Margaret Minnicks
Margaret Minnicks has a bachelor's degree in English. She is an ordained minister with two master's degrees in theology and Christian education. She has been an online writer for over 15 years. Thanks for reading and sending TIPS her way.
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