Butterfly Balance Wellness Center

Honesty as a Spiritual Practice

I just read an interesting status update on one of the Facebook pages that I follow, Sacred Heart Wisdom from Matt Kahn (who also has a website called True Divine Nature), and wanted to share it with you:

"One of the most commonly overlooked spiritual practices is daring to be completely honest with everyone you encounter. Some may say others cannot handle their honesty, but true honesty is not a strategy or a weapon of any kind. It is the willingness to be open and absolutely transparent in sharing how any moment feels in your heart. It has nothing to do with confrontation, accusation, or any form of blame. True honesty is the willingness to stand completely exposed, allowing the world to do what it may, and say what it will, only so you may know who you are – beyond all ideas."

Too often I think honesty is thought of as being brutal or rude, and it certainly can be. If you think of the old standard "Do these pants make me look fat" you can be honest and reply "I think another pair might be more flattering on you" as opposed to "Yes, you look absolutely disgusting in those, and what's wrong with you for thinking those looked good in the first place."

As a spiritual practice, I think honesty would be an interesting concept, especially when it comes to talking about ourselves. During each day I spend a lot of time hearing the question "how are you today?" and most people reply some form of "good," "fine," etc. But if you find yourself saying (or thinking) something negative to that question on a regular basis, it might be helpful to sit with why that is and how you might change that reality or perception.

I often talk about living in integrity, and being honest with people certainly is a step in that direction. But do people really want to hear honesty? Would you respect someone being kindly honest with you about something? Even if it was hard to hear, do you secretly appreciate their honesty? When you ask for someone's honest opinion, do you really just want validation for your own opinion, or do you really want honesty from them?

 

Reframing and Reconnecting

I've just returned from a vacation in New York City, which is my birthplace and the area in which I lived until I moved to Seattle in 2004. I don't believe I've talked a lot about it here on my website, but the events of 9/11/01 were a huge catalyst in my moving away. I was in Manhattan that day, and being as energy sensitive as I am, I took on a lot of the negative energy of that time from those around me, and my own experiential trauma. As you might imagine, this was a difficult time for me.

I have done a lot of work with Health Kinesiology in dealing with the stressors of the days' events, as well as just living in New York City in general. I try to return to New York once a year or so to visit with friends and family, and in the past it has triggered those same feelings, and it was difficult again.

This visit was profoundly different, for which I am very grateful. I've spent a lot of time dwelling on the stress of New York (physically, mentally and energetically) in the past. But this time I decided I would fill my calendar with things that bring me joy. I used to work across the street from Central Park and found serenity on its winding paths. I enjoy the quiet and museum-quality art of St. Patrick's Cathedral. The United Nations' meditation room is a very special place of quiet and peace. And, of course, surrounding myself with loved ones that I have missed visiting with. I realized that through Health Kinesiology corrections I was finally ready to reframe my experiences and reconnect with the things I truly loved about New York City, finally finding peace and the ability to move on.

Is there something you would like to reframe and reconnect with? I would love to work with you towards those goals, knowing from personal experience how it's helped me.