Avoiding difficult issues is a strategy we learned in order to deal with feeling out of control. We tricked ourselves into thinking we could take charge of the emotional field by ignoring our feelings. It may have saved our skin when we were vulnerable, but if the tiger is no longer chasing, we don’t have to hide anymore.

Pretending that silence protects our intimate relationships is the quintessential ostrich maneuver.  With all due respect to this magnificent bird, the expansive energy of truth simply finds its way to the light another way; often in ways we have less control over.

Truth doesn’t persist to defy us; it persists to free us. It’s hard to breathe underground. Honest, loving communication is in no way easy or simple; sometimes it’s not even safe. If you don’t know where to begin, start with your journal or ask someone you trust. In this artificially flavored world, walking the forthright path is an act of love.

Photo Credit: Daniel Karmann/AFP via Annabel Cook