3 Uncomfortable Truths In Life
How I’ve come to cope with realities that were difficult, but were necessary for my own growth.
It will come as no surprise that throughout our lives we discover parts of ourselves. Sometimes we find parts of ourselves that we’re not thrilled about. Maybe you’ve been through a series of horrible events in your teens, or, your parents suddenly died recently? Whatever your life have been, there is an affect that takes place on your soul. Charles Swindoll said, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” This is true not only in the events that happen to us, but even more so in the uncomfortable truths we discover.
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” — Charles R. Swindoll.
We all trust.
In recent years I’ve had to admit to myself that my life has chiseled me into a lone wolf. Someone who is hypervigilant. Hypervigilance — the elevated state of constantly assessing potential threats around you — is often the result of a trauma.
Hypervigilance — the elevated state of constantly assessing potential threats around you — is often the result of a trauma.
In discovering and then reluctantly admitting my lone wolf state of living. I’ve had to take time to assess how that has affected my relationships. Maybe you’re like me and you’ve been betrayed by people you deeply trusted, leading you to be more guarded in your relationships. Then in turn causing you to lean into protecting yourself.
I’ve come to terms with the fact that I don’t really trust people. It was just days ago that I realized regardless of the pain we’ve walkthrough we all still trust. Even if the only person we trust is ourselves.
If the only person you can trust is yourself, unpack that, speak to your childself and learn why you’ve become this self-protective person. How can you take a step toward trusting someone beyond yourself again?
We all have belief systems.
No matter your religion, spiritual life, or if you don’t have one. You have a belief system. According to the Oxford dictionary definition a belief system is a set of principles or tenets which together form the basis of a religion, philosophy, or moral code.
A belief system is a set of principles or tenets which together form the basis of a religion, philosophy, or moral code. — Oxford Dictionary
Every person holds beliefs, some known, some unknown, regardless we act on those beliefs. I’ve found myself caught off guard when I instantly react to a situation and moments later my mind catchs up. I didn’t know I felt so strongly about this. In those moments an unknown belief becomes known.
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
― C.G. Jung
Carl Jung was a psychiatrist in the late 1800s early 1900s. He made some life changing discoveries, such as, the archetypes of introversion and extroversion. He is one of the few people who stood at the apex of madness and genius (which is the most obvious in his Red Book). In the breadth of his work he uncovers depths of the human psych we’d not previously understood.
One of the most profound things I learned when I read his read book Jung’s view on the power of religion.
Jung believed religion was a profound, psychological response to the unknown — both the inner self and the outer worlds — and he understood Christianity to be a profound meditation on the meaning of the life of Jesus of Nazareth within the context of Hebrew spirituality and the Biblical worldview. — Princeton.Edu
In his red book Jung discovers that he lost belief in any religion. This was the epiphany that brought him to the conclusion as how profound religion is to our subconcious.
The uncomfortable truth goes beyond mere religion though. What belief systems do you hold? Are they bringing you life or weighing you down? Did you previously believe something that you no longer do? How has that change helped you?
We all stand for something (you are not alone).
It can sometimes feel like you’re the only one who cares about an issue. Nobody is talking about the issue or listening to you when you talk about it. This can feel lonely and isolating. No matter what you stand for; global warming, the state of global affairs, or your political party. When you’re in a community that doesnt’ hold your same belief it can be hard to stand for something when you feel alone.
“Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.”
― Carl Gustav Jung
Standing for something goes deeper than the pop culture topics we bring up at parties or in line at coffee shops. We stand for people groups, tribes, and stand for that which we value. Most of us even hold deep philosophical perspectives that we live by but don’t necessarily know the words for.
This brings us to another pause, what do you stand for? Why do you stand for it? What does it bring your life to stand for that? Is standing for that helping you become your fullest and best self?
A Time for Reflection
These three uncomfortable truths lead us to ask a deeper question. Do the answers uncovered from these truths weigh us down or do they help us become our best selves? This is the question we must ask.
Do the answers uncovered from these truths weigh us down or do they help us become our best selves?
Maybe you’re like me and you’ve discovered elements of your inner life that weigh you down. For me, I’ve discovered that my parents divorce shattered my foundational beliefs about my family, my world, and my future. It is something that happened to me. I didn’t choose it, my parents are both individual adults who get to make their own decisions. However, I am still affected by consequences of their actions. Much of which is the shattering of my inner emotional world. Then the processing of those pieces. This lead me to the question; are my beliefs about my family, world, and future weighing me down or building me up?
are my beliefs about my family, world, and future weighing me down or building me up? ~Self-Reflection
It’s taken me years to discover this truth about myself and now a few more to process it out. I believe I’m on the other side now, but, it’s still something I needed to put the emotional work into.
What uncomfortable truths have you discovered in your life? Have you been able to work them out? Are you in process? What wisdom have you gained from your journey?
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