A friend asked the question this morning about “speaking one’s truth” and whether or not we should apologize for making the other person feel bad by doing so. I suppose it depends on individual circumstances. If you were physically, mentally, or emotionally harmed by another, it might be important to face the person who harmed you and give voice to what you are feeling. But it must be grounded in Love. This is where healing happens.
Having said that, however, I’ve always been uncomfortable with the use of the phrase “my truth.” For me, there is Ultimate Truth which is Love. In the overwhelming majority of instances, anything else that I might see diiferently or you may see differently is not “my truth” or “your truth” but simply my perspective and your perspective, either of which could be true or not and is distorted through the filter of our lived experiences and belief systems. When one calls something “my truth”, it has a tendency to become this immutable and immovable thing that prevents growth and healing. We feel as though we are ‘right’ and the other is therefore ‘wrong’. My friend Rev. Ric once said, “I can be right, or I can be Love.” Which is the better choice?