Seek Your Truth
By Lisa Martin
Discovering and living a life of success and balance, means orienting
yourself around your truth. It is not always easy to be honest. I once read an
article that said on average people tell about 7 lies an hour. I remember
being quite shocked by that claim believing that it couldn’t possibly be true.
But as I began to think about it, I realized that I did tell “little white
lies” more than I thought. Mostly because I wanted to spare others’ feelings
or I felt by being truthful I made myself too vulnerable. When I dug a little
deeper, I was amazed to learn that some of the biggest lies I’d ever told had
been to myself. Perhaps it was a self-protective measure. But clearly when I
hid from the truth, I made decisions that pushed my life in a direction that
did not serve me.
We are so busy that we often do not listen to or tell our truth. Many of us
just skim the surface of our lives. Our everyday motions fill our lives up,
yet we feel unfulfilled. By not paying attention to our inner wisdom, our
truth center, we are unsure of what is really important to us: what makes us
tick and brings us joy.
So, how do you become brutally honest with yourself? The four C’s: courage,
caring, change and commitment.
Seeking the truth about your own life takes courage. Asking tough
questions and answering them truthfully is essential, even though the outcome
may be surprising and scary. Taking stock of the inventory of your life is a
daring, bold initiative. Accept the results of this quest with an open mind
and caring heart. Go easy on yourself. When you begin excavating your
true self it can sometimes be painful. You might have some regrets, notice
missed opportunities or come to the realization that some things just have to
change.
It is normal to feel some personal upheaval and adjustment going through
this process. It is important to maintain objectivity. For example, if you
discover you have not been spending as much time with your child(ren) as you’d
like, do not beat yourself up. Instead acknowledge your truth and devise a
plan to start living it. This doesn’t necessarily mean making a dramatic
transformation immediately. But being open to change and aligning your
life with your authentic self is key. Just start with small steps like leaving
the office in time to be home for dinner or spending a weekend afternoon with
your child. The most difficult part is beginning the process of change. Once
underway, change creates its own momentum.
Finally, commit to seek, speak and live your truth on a daily basis.
Create the space to tap into your inner wisdom. That could take the form of
meditation, journaling or communing with nature. I invite you to carve out
some time each day to connect with your truth. The result will be life
enhancing.
Make Your Move
Use your journal to uncover your authentic self. Take some quiet time
to answer these questions. What do you really believe to be true about
yourself? Who are you at your very core? Who are you when no one is looking?
What brings you joy? Is this the way you want things to be? What would you
change, if anything? How can the four C’s: courage, caring, change and
commitment work for you? Be candid. Be honest.
About the author: Lisa Martin is an executive and
personal coach specializing in work/life balance for women in business. She is
dedicated to supporting women who want successful and balanced lives.
http://www.successandbalance.com Sign up for her complimentary Taking Care
of Mom Program and her monthly Success & Balance e-Newsletter
http://www.successandbalance.com/coach/html/enews.htm If you want to
experience coaching, Lisa offers a complimentary 30-minute session.
http://www.successandbalance.com/coach/html/free.htm
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