Speak Truth. Speak Love. Speak Life.
What a beautiful world it would be if we could all speak our truths; through love, to one another. If we could all drop the pretense and say what we really feel; through love. If they could see rightly, and speak rightly; see themselves, others and the world around them, through love. If they could speak to one another and to themselves; through love instead of through judgement and hatred. It would save a lot of wasted time at the very least. Time in which people waste trying to figure out what others think; of them, of their ideas, or creations. But we don’t. We’re too afraid, and too uncomfortable. It’s easier to hide our true selves; from both ourselves and others. It’s easier to make concessions and to compromise; compromise for others and compromise our values to fit in, or so we think. It’s not easier, in the long run. It’s just more comfortable in the moment. We don’t like being uncomfortable. And, we often find truth uncomfortable.
Why are we so uncomfortable with truth? I think it’s because people are uncomfortable with their own truths, and aren’t always honest with themselves. And, it’s because we don’t speak through love; not to others, and certainly not to ourselves. In fact, I just saw a post by some girl, showing a picture of her dog with only a harness on, and explaining that she’s off-leash training her dog. A post on a social media page where dog lovers post pictures of their pets to fellow dog lovers, allegedly. The comments on the post were disgusting! So many, that she had to make an edit to her original post; telling commenters that she was aware that the harness was on upside down because it was 0500 hrs, and she’d not had coffee yet. Telling me, that she put her dog first. And, explaining that it was important to her to train her dog to be off-leash. (The way dogs are meant to exist but need to be trained to not be wild, as their instincts tell them to be). Which tells me, that she is being responsible and loving; training her dog while off leash, so that the dog obeys her commands, and will come back to her while off leash. Showing me that she is trying to allow her dog freedom, while at the same time, preventing difficult interactions with others.
This was her truth. She was matter-of-fact. She was not rude. And yet, the commenters were; rude, bossy, and hateful – unloving. Knowing human behaviour as I do, I’m picturing the poor girl, trying to enjoy the morning with her dog afterward and ending up walking the dog, while seething at the hatred thrown her way. And, quite possibly questioning her own judgment, in the way these commenters did. Questioning herself, because of someone else’s opinions; someone’s judgement. Not showing herself love and compassion. All because she shared a picture of her beautiful dog, with other supposed dog lovers, on a page specifically created for sharing pictures of your dogs. And, was attacked for sharing her truth.
On social media; where no one has to account for their poor behaviour. Where no one knows your truth; your story or what kind of stress you may be under. Where no one asks you where you are at before they slime you; with contempt, judgement and hatred. Where you get attacked when you show your true self, and make yourself vulnerable. I’ve seen this far too often on social media. And, I’d like to say that this is the exception, but it’s not; it’s the rule. This is why people hide their full story. This is why you only see the corner, of the full picture of people’s lives. This is why people are afraid of being vulnerable. This is why we use filters; on our faces, and in our posts. This is why we filter ourselves in real life, now, as well. This is why we don’t speak or show our truths. Because we are afraid of being attacked. We are afraid of not being accepted. We are afraid of judgement. We are afraid of being unloved. Because people have forgotten how to speak through love.
We weren’t created with hatred in our hearts. It’s not the normal human condition to be so hateful. Our natural instinct is to love and help one another. Our first instinct, however, is survival; so, if something threatens our survival, we naturally fight back, instead of responding with love. This shouldn’t have to manifest itself online. It shouldn’t have to manifest itself in our relationships with others, at all. It certainly shouldn’t have to manifest itself because we shared a picture of our dogs. If something as simple as a picture of someone’s dog, can create such animosity; if it can elicit such arrogance, ignorance and contempt, it’s easy to see why it is so difficult for people to be truly vulnerable. How difficult it is to share your whole truth with others, and the world around you. How dark and scary a place the world has become, and how hard it is to share your story and to speak your truth, as a result. Because we don’t speak through love anymore.
We don’t spread enough love. We spread judgement, hatred and animosity. We challenge, and question people’s life and their decisions. We attack and spew hatred and contempt their way, instead of being supportive or loving. If we knew how to speak our truths; and that it would be met with love, we would be more vulnerable. If we still knew how to speak through love, it would be easy to speak truth. It’s supposed to be part of healing; speaking your truth and being met with love and support. Unfortunately, there are more scenarios like this poor girl’s social media post, and ensuing hateful drama, than, there are situations where people build each other up. That’s unacceptable! And it’s a vicious cycle.
If we speak our truths, and are not met with love, compassion and understanding, we stop sharing our truths. We stop being vulnerable; stop being real. If we stop being vulnerable, we harden our hearts. If we harden our hearts, we stop letting love in. if we stop letting love in, we stop spreading love. Because we don’t have any left to share; with the world, and with ourselves. So, when someone speaks their truth, we react with judgement and contempt. Because, what we see in others that creates that contempt in ourselves, is usually a trait that we despise in ourselves. This creates self-contempt and self-loathing; instead of love and compassion. If we don’t feel love and compassion for ourselves, we do not share it with others. So, we react with contempt, instead of responding with love. And we perpetuate the cycle of unlovingness. This contempt, is received by another, who gives it back out to another and another and so on. And eventually, we stop speaking our truths, we stop being vulnerable and we stop being loving.
How do we stop this? Don’t be hateful. Don’t be judgmental. Don’t react; respond. Don’t spread hatred and contempt. Spread love. Allow others to show their truth, and be vulnerable. Meet their vulnerability and truth with love. Then tell them, to pay it forward. Model this. Teach them, through love, to spread love by speaking their truth; through love. Speak your truth; through love. Learn to love yourself enough to respond, through love, when met with contempt or judgement. Do not perpetuate the hatred. Perpetuate truth and love. And when you cannot reach someone, through love, just tell them you love them and hope it sticks to them; so, they can learn to love themselves. Because hurt people, hurt people. But loving people, love people. So, speak truth. Speak love. Our words have the power of life and death; speak life.