“The truth shall set you free”.  We have all heard this phrase before.  I wouldn’t say I am a dishonest person, but perhaps I’m not as forthcoming or as open as I want to be.  I tend to be private and keep a lot inside.  I’m like many people who need to process situations before I share. 

Many times we hold things inside, because we’re afraid of being judged – especially by those we respect.  This was my situation.  There had been something I wanted to share with a good friend of mine for some time, but I couldn’t strike up the courage to do so.  Today, after a slow jog and spending a few minutes quieting my mind, I decided I would face it.  I wrote a long email and told her what I needed to tell her.  The result was a sense of freedom.  I felt lighter.  I felt relieved.  More than anything, I felt I was no longer holding a big load on my shoulder.  It was something I wanted to release and finally did. 

What I realized was that I was really holding back the truth from myself.  In order to let go of what I needed to let go of in my mind, I had to face the honest truth.  When I faced it, I was able to accept it.  And when I accepted it, I was able to release it.  Of course, depending on the situation, this can be a long process, and it’s important to take the time you need to process.  Remember, though, that we all judge ourselves harsher than anyone else in the world.  We fear being judged and being deemed unworthy.  When we hold back, we rob people the opportunity to really see the essense of who we are.  And maybe we do that, because we don’t always like who we are.  Or perhaps, we’re not where we want to be in life.  Or maybe, we feel like we’ve let others down. 

The real truth is that we all want to be validated.  We want to be seen, heard, and acknowledged.  I ended up having a great conversation with my friend today.  She was, in fact, able to share with me some similar experiences she had this past year.  Had I not opened up, I’m not sure she would have either.  Facing our truths allowed us both to free our minds today.

Deepali’s Piece of Wellness:  Are there situations in your life that you need to face and accept?  Are you denying what is true for you?  Facing your truth will allow for a deeper connection with yourself and in all of your relationships.