Truth is often disruptive. It’s not always what we want to face as it can expose many embarrassing and shameful aspects of our story. And while it’s tempting to downplay these elements in order to save face, we rob ourselves of wholehearted freedom when we do.
Truth telling denies us the bliss of ignorance.
For instance, discovering the truth of a diagnosis disrupts our assumptions that all is well with our health or that of our loved one. And sometimes we just don’t want to know or delay knowing so that we can enjoy that moment of bliss a bit longer.
Sharing the various sins and struggles in our story can also be disruptive. Things will not be the same once the cat is out of the bag and we might wonder if it’s worth the risk.
Holding back or downplaying what is true allows us not to rock the boat and to maintain the pretense that everything is good.
But while revealing the truth comes with a cost, so does denying it.
We block our ability to live wholehearted and free when we don’t live in the truth.
Even if we can get away with never facing what is true, it’s like being restricted to just one room of our house rather than having full access to it. It’s livable, but it comes at the cost of much freedom and joy.
To be sure, bringing the full weight of truth into our life is risky. It rocks the boat and others will not always like what we disclose.
But wisely and courageously sharing truth opens the door for true love – fully seen and accepted with nothing held back.
There is a cost to telling the truth. But the wholehearted freedom that comes from it is worth the risk.
