Truth Connects Us Back to Ourselves: Learning to Listen to Your Inner Knowing
There are times in life when we feel unsettled. Or something just feels off.
We may notice it as anxiety, tension, restlessness, or a lingering sense that something isn’t quite right.
Anxiety, as one of our emotional messengers, is often trying to tell us that some sort of action needs to be taken or that something needs our attention.
Sometimes it is pointing toward difficult emotions we are trying not to see or feel. Emotions we may be pushing away or holding at arm’s length.
Other times, it may be pointing toward an action that needs to be taken or a change that needs to be made.
I often think of anxiety like the lid on a boiling pot of water.
As the emotions beneath the surface begin to build, the lid begins to rattle.
When we feel this, sometimes our first instinct is to “fix it” before we really know what the real need is.
We may feel driven to do something—anything—to make the feeling go away. So…
We throw ourselves into work.
We search for certainty.
We stay busy.
We distract ourselves.
We binge-watch television.
We scroll.
We shop.
We ask ourselves:
“What should I do?”
“How do I fix this?”
“What is the right answer?”
We focus on what we think we “should” do.
Yet sometimes the discomfort isn’t asking us to find an answer or a “quick fix”.
Sometimes it’s asking us to allow ourselves to open and get curious about the “something” that needs to change or be seen.
To go deeper.
To allow ourselves to explore and acknowledge the inner truth waiting to be seen.
The truth that a part of ourselves already knows.
Whether it is a truth about ourselves, a relationship, a need, unresolved grief, a hope, a dream, a season of life, or something that no longer fits, avoiding truth can leave us feeling unsettled and tense with that buzzy energy that is our body’s way of trying to get our attention.
Truth Has a Different Feel
Truth doesn’t always feel good.
Sometimes truth brings grief, disappointment, uncertainty, or fear.
Sometimes it asks us to let go of something we wish were different.
Sometimes it asks us to acknowledge something we’ve been trying not to see.
Yet even difficult truths often land differently.
There is a solidity to them.
A groundedness.
A sense of relief.
Almost like a solid thud.
An embodied sense of knowing that says:
“Yes. This is true.”
Not necessarily certainty.
Not necessarily comfort.
But true none the less.
Truth has a way of settling into us like a stone reaching the bottom of a pond.
The emotions surrounding the truth may be uncomfortable, but there is often less internal struggle. Less arguing. Less effort spent trying to hold reality at arm’s length.
Avoidance, on the other hand, tends to feel different. It tends to feel
Restless.
Contracted.
Anxious.
Unsettled.
As though some part of us knows what is true, but is not quite ready to acknowledge it yet.
What Happens When We Stop Fighting It?
But what would happen if we allowed ourselves to open?
To lean into the discomfort a little?
To get curious about what it has to say?
To allow what is true to land with a settling, solid thud like the rock reaching the bottom of the pond.
To stop pushing it away.
To stop explaining it away.
To stop keeping it at arm’s length.
What if we allowed ourselves to sit with the truth, even when it isn’t convenient or comfortable?
Even when it isn’t what we hoped would be true?
Even when it asks something of us?
Truth does not always feel good in the moment.
But there is often something expansive about it.
Something that opens rather than constricts.
Something that softens the tension created by constantly arguing with what we already know.
Truth Connects Us Back to Ourselves
When we allow ourselves to acknowledge what is true, something begins to shift.
We become more connected to ourselves.
To our deeper inner knowing.
To the parts of us that may have been ignored, hidden, or pushed aside. The parts of ourselves we have felt are unacceptable.
The truth is that even these parts are trying to protect us and tend to our overall well-being, even if their ways of trying to achieve that haven’t always the prettiest.
A deeper relationship with ourselves begins when we allow ourselves to hear the quiet wisdom of all of our parts. And to hold these parts with compassion. To honor their good intentions.
To listen.
To notice.
To become curious about what is asking to be seen.
Because truth without compassion can feel overwhelming.
But truth held with compassion creates space.
Space to acknowledge what is true.
Space to grieve.
Space to grow.
Space to let go.
Space to heal.
And from that space, we are better able to make choices that honor what is true for us in this moment of life.
I’ve noticed that the truths I’ve resisted the longest are often the ones that ultimately brought the greatest sense of relief once I finally allowed myself to acknowledge them.
And this is often where we can finally exhale.
A Gentle Reflection
What truth might be waiting to be acknowledged?
Not because it will immediately make life easier.
But because it may be inviting you toward a life that feels more authentic, aligned, and fully your own.
What if the next step isn’t finding the perfect answer?
What if it isn’t fixing, solving, or figuring everything out?
What if the invitation is simply to pause.
To listen.
To open.
To allow yourself to acknowledge what is already true.
And then to meet that truth with compassion.
Reflection & Journal Practice
If this reflection resonated with you, consider spending a few quiet moments with the questions below.
There are no right or wrong answers.
The goal is not to force clarity or find the perfect solution.
Simply notice what arises.
Reflection Questions
• What in my life currently feels unsettled, tense, or out of alignment?
• Is there a truth I have been avoiding, minimizing, or keeping at arm’s length?
• What am I spending energy trying to fix, control, or figure out?
• What feels true, even if it is difficult to acknowledge?
• What would it look like to meet this truth with compassion rather than judgment?
• What small step could I take toward greater alignment with what I know to be true?
A Final Reflection
Take a slow deep breath.
Place a hand over your heart if that feels supportive.
Ask yourself:
“What truth is waiting to be seen?”
Then simply listen.
You do not need to force an answer.
You do not need to have everything figured out.
Sometimes the first step toward alignment is simply creating enough space to hear what is quietly waiting to be seen.
With Love,
Sharon
References & Further Reading
Brown, B. (2010). The gifts of imperfection: Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are. Hazelden Publishing.
Kernis, M. H., & Goldman, B. M. (2006). A multicomponent conceptualization of authenticity: Theory and research. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 38, pp. 283–357). Academic Press.
Neff, K. D. (2011). Self-compassion: The proven power of being kind to yourself. William Morrow.
Rogers, C. R. (1961). On becoming a person: A therapist’s view of psychotherapy. Houghton Mifflin.
You Might Also Enjoy:
- The Healing Power of Allowing Multiple Truths
- The Miracle of Becoming
- Say No to What Drains You So You Can Say Yes to What Truly Matters
Looking for Additional Support?
Sometimes the truths we uncover are difficult to navigate alone.
Whether you’re moving through a life transition, feeling disconnected from yourself, struggling with anxiety, grief, burnout, or simply feeling stuck, having a supportive person to walk alongside you can make a meaningful difference.
If you’re looking for a grounded, compassionate space to explore what is true for you and create a life that feels more aligned, I’d be honored to support you.
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