Last night I read a chapter in the book, The Great Shift and it reminded me of my need for speaking my truth. So many times, especially women, keep their thoughts to themselves in order to save someone else’s feelings. I am guilty. Perhaps your partner had a stressful day at work and you don’t want to rock the boat. Sometimes it feels much easier to let things stir inside of us rather than burden someone with your thoughts or feelings.
The body does a good job of hanging onto old baggage. Well so it seems. We may not be aware of the damage it is doing to us on the inside. Allowing our hearts to speak and release feelings, emotions, and thoughts is not only the best gift you can give yourself, it is essential to sustaining good health. When emotion and thoughts are held inside of us and not released properly, disease may set in over time. And for women, we tend to get disease in our female anatomy when this happens. This is no coincidence. It is time to stop this trend of holding things inside. From this moment on, I urge women to speak their truths and take back their mental, emotional and physical wellness.
After many years or a lifetime of holding onto things, speaking your truth may not be that easy. If you have a partner, you may want to fore-warn them that you plan to do this for your wellbeing. Urge them to not take anything personal. What we really need is for them to simply listen and hold the space for us to release our thoughts and emotions. They may need to be reminded of this frequently at first. If a partner is not used to hearing you speak your truth, he/she may get defensive as they feel they are doing something wrong. If they know this process is to keep you healthy, and you remind them often, it will be much easier for both of you. Consider filling them in on your decision to speak your truth as the first step in speaking your truth. Another plus to telling someone, is that you feel more accountable to follow through. Tell a good friend as well.
When speaking your truth, it is important to get in touch with your feelings and needs. This way, the words will be coming from your heart rather than your ego. For example, when bothered by something, go inside your body (lose the thoughts) and see what is there for you to hear. Perhaps sit with your breath for a few minutes to allow your ego to rest. Then you may have some heartfelt words to speak that others will be ready to listen to. Often times, you may want to speak your truth by making requests to get your needs met. This approach is often very acceptable by the receiving end as they feel they can now help and know exactly what you need. And remember, express the good feelings as well. Your partner or friend will appreciate it.
If all else fails, a journal doesn’t respond and get defensive. That is a great start to speaking your truth.