Posted on August 29, 2009 - by Joanne Del Core
Are you being true?
The truth of a person’s life is the way in which that person drops the lie imposed by others on them. (Reread this sentence twice before continuing ahead). When we are stripped, naked, natural, we are what we are. The truth of our life lies (no pun intended) in a matter of being and not of becoming (by others). I love this message today because it’s something I’ve been desperately trying to articulate all week. I have felt burdened this week and I have asked myself this question as a result: am I being true in this situation? When I carry should’s and shouldn’ts imposed on me by others, with the proverbial “go faster, try harder, reach the top” tyrannical voice attached to it, what is the lesson here for me? What’s the lie that I’ve imposed on myself this week? The lie is that I am broken, unmanageable, complicated, tough, unreasonable and need to follow someone else’s rules – that’s the lie. The truth is that I am whole, clear in my intentions, relentless in my pursuit for excellence from others and myself AND all encompassing love – that’s the truth.
The lie can never become the truth. Black can never become white. Trees can never become clouds just as the personality can never become your soul. I can never be like you and you can never be like me. The lie is nonessential and the truth is essential. There is no way to make the nonessential essential. You can’t swap one for the other and the striving towards truth creates nothing but confusion. When we strive for the truth, that in itself is a distraction. It’s the lie’s way of hiding. The truth needs not to be achieved. In fact, it cannot be achieved because it is already there, in its purest form. Only the lie has to be dropped. All ideals, aims, judgments, ideologies, religions and systems of improvement are lies. I’ve recognized the fact that when I allow myself to be manipulated and cultivated by others, I am a lie. A walking lie. And when I look deep into the lie of my personality I see the lie and to see it is to cease it. The moment the lie disappears, the truth is there in all its beauty and radiance. The seeing of the lie, completely dismantles it and what’s left to shine, is the truth.
If life feels like a struggle to you these days, it could be time to shrug your shoulders and see what it feels like to walk without the should’s and shouldn’ts on your back. You have your own mountains to conquer, your own dreams to fulfill, but you will never have the energy to pursue them until you release yourself from all the expectations you’ve gathered from others that you now think are your own. Chances are they exist only in your own mind, and that doesn’t mean they can’t weigh you down. It’s time to lighten up, and send them on their way.

Do you ever feel guilty for saying things that are uncalled for when you’re upset or angry? Ever feel like your upset shouldn’t have a voice or wouldn’t serve you or the situation you’re in? As a matter of fact, I’ve come to see just how crucial and important it is to get everything out on the table: the words, the feelings, the hurt, the “opinions” that matter to me and the yuckiness that comes from feeling betrayed, offended and misguided. I’ve learned that blowing off steam is more than ok. It actually feels pretty darn good.
challenging, there’s always a need for a comforting word to ignite our spirit. I wanted to share with you the phrases I was struck by when I listened to the Dalai Lama speak in October of 2007. Here are a few gems and golden nuggets I jotted down in my notebook as I heard him speak. I wonder which ones will resonate with you?