The Honest Path

Walking the honest path is not easy, it leaves us open, vulnerable and transparent. We as people are often encouraged to hide our emotions, our feelings and our true desires. It is true for many of us that we, rather than let the world know exactly who we are, paint a picture of what we think is a stronger, better, less emotionally involved, more empowered version of the truth. It can make things a lot easier, relationships more flexible and it gives us a sense of protection that we can draw confidence from. This is all good stuff, apart from the dishonesty part.

To walk the path of the honest brave, the innocent, the childlike warrior, we must drop our pre-tenses. By being clear about who we really are, we stand most able to put out into the world the bit of us that no-body can- the unique and delicious flow of you that is all too often tampered with to fit what feels like a small, uniform square.

Protecting ourselves from the mal-intent that we will no doubt stumble into is of course important and when someone asks for our bank details on the street, then of course say no. This is still honest. “I do not want to” is as honest as it comes, “No” is a clear cut, straight from the soul, honest refusal.

By exposing ourselves, in our turbulent and sometimes barely sociable truth, gives us the option to first realise it and then work with it. It gives others the chance to do the same. Perhaps when we meet a person and we like this person, if we give them a piece of our honesty, they are holding in their mind a wisdom that can be used to build or break the friendship. When they have within them the capacity to do what they will with you, the real you, then we can quickly determine what sort of a relationship we can expect from this person. Most people treat each other well, some people treat each other like precious jewels, and others will occasionally see you as their target. By being honest, and open, we are in a great place to determine who is who pretty quickly.

When we are open about what we feel, think an desire, we can get feedback from the world that is more appropriate for us. If we are always holding back, putting our feelings to one side or watering down our vulnerability, we will not give the world around us the opportunity to balance out the equation. Sure, we can’t have it all,  but we can have more if we make it known that’s what we feel we want or need.

Once we are honest with the world around us, we stand more open to honest feedback. This can sometimes be a painful and disturbing experience as what we receive goes directly to what makes us who we are at this moment. It is exhausting to be challenged on a deep level, but it is also extremely rewarding. Like with cognitive behavioural therapy (a mode of healing for those of us affected by unhelpful thinking patterns and clinical mental health problems such as anxiety), when we put our truth out into the big wide world, that same big wide world reacts in its unique and splendid way, and together we grow the best version of ourselves we can be.

It takes courage and it takes humility but once we are able to walk the path of truth, more often or completely, things will be flowing for you, you will be tapping into the life vein of the universe that sustains you and will throw you headfirst into tomorrow with a big grin on your face.

Rowan Blair Colver