Unless you have been down a very deep hole or living on another planet, you can't have but noticed that there has been a bit of storm brewing (and I am not referring to the high winds). "That" interview sparked huge reaction across the globe and we even saw the infamous Mr Morgan from GMTV make a hasty exit. All of this got me thinking about the use and understanding of "speaking your truth" and whether or not, like so many things in life, the interpretation of the true meaning of this can be altered to suit individual peoples particular agenda.
For me speaking your truth and being authentic go hand in hand. They are not mutually exclusive and you can't do one without the other. Being authentic is about living your life according to your own values and goals, rather than those of other people. When we live authentically we stay true to our own beliefs regardless of the thoughts, ideas or actions of others around us. It therefore follows that when we "speak our truth", our words will be reflective of those same values and beliefs. However a fundamental point we need to recognise is, that this is only ever our truth and not necessarily the truth. If we acknowledge that every person is unique and an individual, the likelihood is that each version of our truth is also going to be unique and individual too. So does that mean that some people are right and some are wrong? The simple answer is no. Someone's truth may not be right for us but that certainly doesn't mean that it isn't right for the person who is speaking it.
There is a subtle difference between telling the truth and speaking our truth. Telling the truth is and should always be, based in fact. If we know that something we are saying is factually incorrect then that is a lie. However when we speak our truth, we are speaking from the position of it being what we feel, what we perceive, what we believe. It isn't however fact and therefore cannot be distinguished as being either right or wrong, simply right for us. And that is where the problem arises. As a society we are driven by a need to prove that someone is right and someone is wrong; to pick a side, to have a winner. Rather than being open to simply respecting that someone might have a different viewpoint, experience or perception; we feel the need to have one point of view.
So is speaking your truth going to be controversial? Yes! Will others disagree? Yes. However what speaking your truth doesn't have to be is derogatory, disrespectful or presented as fact. We can express our truth with compassion and kindness. We can respect that this is only our belief and not the belief of others. We can be prepared to be challenged on our truth without feeling defensive, we can listen to differing points of view and at the end of the day, we can simply agree to disagree. We should never see speaking our truth as an opportunity to simply say whatever we like, regardless of the consequences to others.
"Speak your truth gently, it is possible to be both honest and kind."
- Mary Davis
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