on Truth...

... and (the) Truth shall set you Free... that's a favorite quote of mine. One definition of Truth is: the quality or state of being true; the quality of being according to experience, facts or reality; conformity with fact... (from Websters Dictionary) Integrity and truthfulness are both important qualities to me. Fun-loving aside, I make the effort to incorporate both in my behavior and life. Thankfully, those traits are a given part of my character, though it isn't always an easy way to be or even to aspire to, let me tell you! Meditation helps. Reading inspiring books by awesome authors such as Gregg Braden or Wayne Dyer (and many, many others) helps, too. As do readings from the Gospels - of Thomas, of Mary Magdalene, etc... I love those.
You may be wondering what brought this particular musing on... It's true, recent familial and friend losses have just wracked me. Not dealing with it all as well as I could be. Work pressures - both online business and on-the-job - create a stress not always easy to cope with. And, the personal issues that just don't allow one to breathe... Where does the Truth fit in all these? I suppose in how one perceives the goings on and happenings in one's life. The realization that the Truth of our lives is not always what or how we perceive our lives to be. Truth is. What we perceive of our daily life experiences is emotional, our response to what is happening. Standing back, re-assessing, looking at a given situation or happening without emotion (not easy!!!!), but clinically, examining the facts of that same situation or experience - it is liberating. There is that enlightening "oh! I get it, now" epiphany that just lightens the heart. And, I've truly needed my heart lightened, lately... that is a fact. That is Truth.
I came to this lovely location, a year ago, now. An anniversary of sorts, I suppose. One I didn't celebrate, though in retrospect, I suppose I should have. After all, I've come a long way - if not as far as I would have hoped. I am still working on specific changes - personal, intellectual, spiritual, emotional. Hard, hard, hard! Physical - I have lost weight! A good thing, must'nt over-do... The whole idea of re-locating in the first place was to re-create my life. Which I am working on. It just hasn't been as I thought - which brings me back to the Truth of things. I am who I am, what I am, where I am. I am becoming what I aspire to. Those I allow into my life are who they are - or as they perceive themselves (not always truthfully) to be. It is up to me to discern correctly, wisely, and make the decisions on who to keep in my life and who to "weed out" as it were. And, there are those I want in my life - for what they can bring, what can be learned, experienced - new for me. That's one of the blessings of coming here - I've met some wonderful, loving people... true, I don't know them, not really. There's only so much information to be gleaned in certain environments, after all. And, sadly, people do have a tendency to reveal only what they want you to know - not necessarily the truth of themselves. Which brings me full circle. Perceiving about others based on conjecture - not on truth - bad for the heart. But, as I stumble upon the truth of things, I take that information and I go on... I persist in this new adventure, discovering new things, new places, new people - re-discovering myself. I like this journey...