7 Truths That I Hold Dearly

Spiritual Truths, Guidance and Principles

When I saw Diana C.’s prompt for this week, my first thought was I’ve already done this, haven’t I? And indeed I have, but not to this extent. And not quite like this. Diana posed a couple of thought-worthy questions:

What is our truth and how do we own it?

Let’s reflect on how we stand up for this truth each day. Let’s recall moments when we haven’t done it and why. Let’s think about the relationship between our truth and the people in our life: Do they clash or do they compliment each other?

However, before I answer those questions, I should explain my own personal truths. I believe in each of these with every fiber of my being. They guide me spiritually on a daily basis. They help me to choose love, compassion and understanding instead of hate, fear and divisiveness.

1. The Universe and all things in it were created by an Intelligent, Creative Designer

When I see the magnificence of nature, the awe-inspiring Milky Way, or a baby’s smile, I cannot help but believe that none of this was left up to chance. There has to be a creator, a designer (or multitudes of them?)who is so intelligent and so creative as to leave such beauty for me to behold. And it doesn’t bother me what name or label someone places upon this designer — God, Allah, the Creator, the Divine, the ONE, the Source, etc. They are all the same to me.

2. All creations upon this planet have a symbiotic relationship with Mother Gaia

We have known scientifically for centuries that all living creatures on this planet support and benefit from one another — from the smallest molecule to the largest animal. Without pollinators, we’d have no fruits, vegetables or grains. Without worms and beetles, our soil would not be sustainable. Without plankton, fish of all sizes would not have food. Trees are our lungs and we give them carbon dioxide to grow. It is only us humans who do not live in perfect harmony with Nature. The indigenous people did (and some still do) and we could as well, if we weren’t so greedy.

3. There is only one race on this planet — The Human Race

It has always wounded my heart deeply that people treat one another differently because of something none of us have any control over — the color of our skin. It has no effect on a person’s abilities or intelligence. It is merely a tool to divide us and make us forget that we are all of the same race — the Human race.

4. Love will always triumph over hate

When we send out love, compassion and empathy, we raise our vibration. We become lighter, happier, and more in tune with the Universe. Hate lowers our vibration. It leaves us heavy, angry, and only feeds more negativity. Unless we have a limiting personality — narcissism, psychopathy, or sociopathy — I honestly believe that we will always choose love over hate. Love is hardwired into most of us from the Creator.

5. I am a spiritual being having a human experience

Yes, I know this is such a cliche now, but for me, it is true. I feel a connection to the Creator and I know that I chose to be here to experience everything this human life has to offer. And I also believe that when I die, I will come here again and again until I have experienced every human condition and emotion.

6. Imagination is Human’s greatest gift

We have been given these amazing brains and the ability to imagine and create, to invent and to even be forward-thinking beings. We can see problems and think up solutions, then manifest those solutions. When we put our minds to a task, there are no limitations, except those we put upon ourselves.

7. Fulfillment cannot be found “out there” or with someone else — it can only be found within

Buddhists call this suffering — this need or desire to seek happiness or fulfillment through material things and/or other people. This is why there are so many addictions in the world and also why some relationships fail. To overcome this, I believe we need to go within and become comfortable with our own skin, to believe in ourselves, to learn balance and stillness. Unless we are happy and content with ourselves, nothing outside of our selves will ever fill us up. We will just be constantly chasing that next high or excitement, only to crash and burn later when things don’t work out as we’d hoped. I’ve often said that an expectation is a cruel mistress — she demands and rarely gives back what we desired.

Now that I have listed seven of my truths (I am sure there are others), I will focus on the second part of Diana’s first question — how do we own our truths?

For me, I own them by not allowing others to shake my belief in them. That is not to say that I have never changed my beliefs. I was once very religious and wanted everyone to believe as I did. I saw how this sewed confusion, doubt and at times, even anger. After taking a World Religion course in college, I changed how I viewed religious matters. I discovered that there was beauty and dogma in all religions and philosophies. I also realized that everyone should have the right to believe as they see fit. I was no longer burdened by the frustration of wanting people to believe as I did. I am now spiritual and open to all religions and philosophies of this world.

I also own them by reinforcing them within myself. I meditate, chant, pray and send out Loving-Kindness to the world. At one time in my life, I was a Wiccan and one of the tenets of Wicca is “An it harm none, do what thy will.” Although I lean more toward Buddhism now, I find the beauty in those words and I do all in my power not to harm anything from the Creator — the land, air and bodies of water around me, insects, animals, or other people.

I stand up for my truths by calling people out when they reveal bigotry, racism, and hatred or seek to do damage to the planet. I am an environmentalist, a human and animal rights activist, and I support those of us who live outside of the norms — Black Lives Matter, the LGBTQ+ community, those with Mental Health issues and those living with Disabilities. I don’t push my truths or values on others, but instead try to live by example.

Although I’ve always had a strong understanding of right and wrong, I wasn’t always so vocal about it. This ties into Diana’s last question — Let’s think about the relationship between our truth and the people in our life: Do they clash or do they compliment each other?

As I’ve mentioned before, my parents and siblings were racists and bigots and as a child and teenager growing up, instead of speaking out about it, I would often just leave the room. If I couldn’t leave the room, I would just sit quietly. However, once I left home and went away to college, my world view expanded. I was no longer stuck in the small town, conservative, racist values of my family. I attended equal rights and animal rights marches. I joined the Pride movement at my college and marched proudly with the LGBTQ+ community. And I participated in the environmentalist movement. I also learned to embrace people from all walks of life, religions, and cultures. My writing became my voice and I’ve used it to the best of my ability for the things that I believe strongly in. And finally, I stood up to my family and called them out on their racism and bigotry — something I am still having to do with my sister to this day — as lovingly as I can.

For many decades, I tried to remain in an orbit of like-minded people. I rarely engaged with those of opposing truths. However, I have learned to step outside of my comfort zone and talk to people who don’t believe as I do. Sometimes we can find common ground. Other times, we have to agree to disagree. And then there are those rare moments when I can get someone to agree with me without trying to force my way in. Those are the rare moments I treasure.

©2020 Lori Carlson. All Rights Reserved.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my truths. And a big thank you to Diana C. for This Week’s Prompt: 29–5.07 — All things truth.

If you’d like to learn about more of my personal truths, philosophies and values, check out this piece:

Lori Carlson writes poetry, fiction, articles and personal essays. Most of her topics are centered around Relationships, Spirituality, Life Lessons, Mental Health, and the LGBTQ+ community. She currently writes for Loose Words,💜POM💜 , Illumination, The Friday Fix, House of Haiku, Know Thyself, Heal Thyself, The Purple Pen, Blue Insights, a Few Words, and Tempest in Under 1000