Bravery To Honour Truth

This poem explores the courage it takes to honour your truth as it evolves with you, overcome fears of retaliation, gaslighting, or desertion, and embrace honesty as a fertile ground for connection. It speaks to unlearning the habit of silencing your feelings out of fear of appearing needy, weak, or insecure, and instead reclaiming your right to express your needs. Let this piece inspire you to celebrate the privilege of having a voice.

This track is part of a series of 15 reflective poems on Insight Timer under the theme 'I Ask My Being,' each exploring an aspiration, its accompanying challenges, as well as observations to help find solace in the experience. Averaging around five minutes each, these poetic soliloquies are perfect for savasana, mindful walks, bedtime musings, and peaceful drives. Each track features my narration, set to a neoclassical piano composition by Arash Behzadi.

Transcript

I ask for bravery.

To honor my truth as it evolves with me.

Not to hold back in fear of retaliation or gaslighting or desertion,

But to hold my ground,

Giving thanks for revelations that come.

To express what I wish for and to recognize another's capacity for gentle candor.

To be sincere,

Yielding others the fruits of possibility that arise from the fertile grounds of honesty.

Should I quiet my voice?

May it be out of grace,

A richness expressed in modesty,

Not passive conformity.

There were times when I learned to silence my values and turn a blind eye,

Not to stray from the prevailing narrative of society.

And there were times when I learned to conceal my pain and settle for less,

Not to appear insecure or weak or needy.

But I can unlearn those lessons.

I will unbar the gates that have obstructed the flow of life within.

I will heed my needs and emotions in gratitude for the privilege of having a voice to declare them.

An emblem of my respect for the life I have been given.

A life that affords me sovereignty over to whom and to what I grant.

To deny my expression is to deny I am here,

A sentient life-form sharing the woes and joys of existence with those far and near.