09:31

Being Honest With Yourself

by Tess Callahan

Rated
4.9
Type
guided
Activity
Meditation
Suitable for
Everyone
Plays
556

This meditation, inspired by Adyashanti, invites you to do something radical, namely to tell the truth, with kindness, all day today, both in your conversations and in your head. As we seek to grow, we often confront holdouts, those parts of us that aren’t sure they want to change. Noticing when we shade or twist the truth brings us to the cutting edge of our growth, the nitty gritty of enlightenment. If being authentic evokes fear, let yourself get curious. Lean into what's happening inside you. Telling the truth is a deceptively simple and incredibly powerful tool for spiritual growth. This recording can be used alone or as a companion to Adyashanti's "Direct Way" teachings. I hope you enjoy. Audio by Eric Fischer.

TruthfulnessAuthenticitySelf HonestyFearCompassionSelf InvestigationEmotional AwarenessSpiritual GrowthEnlightenmentTruthfulness PracticeAuthenticity In RelationshipsFear Of TruthCompassionate Truth TellingEmotional Body Awareness

Transcript

Hello friends,

Today's mini awakening practice is about telling the truth.

As we seek to grow as human beings and spiritually,

We often confront what you might call holdouts or parts of ourselves that aren't sure if they're quite willing to evolve or to change or to become expressions of a deeper state of consciousness.

This is the nitty gritty,

The cutting edge of our spiritual growth.

And one area where it can show up is in telling the truth.

Not meaning truth with a capital T,

Like big grandiose thoughts about truth,

But truth in the sense of authenticity in your relationships,

In your words.

So this is a little practice in investigating truth.

And it can be a little challenging,

So go gently.

So the practice for today is to try to go through the whole day always telling the truth,

Being honest,

Being authentic,

Being truthful all the time to yourself and to others.

When you do this,

You might find there are instances where you think you're being truthful and honest,

And then you may discover little ways that you're shading the truth or coloring the truth,

Maybe even consciously manipulating truth for some kind of strategic advantage to get what you want,

To avoid criticism or conflict,

To protect ourselves.

There are all reasons that we do this.

So today the invitation,

Gently,

Is to lean into your fear,

Your fear of being truthful,

Of being honest and authentic.

Now this doesn't mean that you're ruthless with your truth.

There are different ways you can express your truth.

There are different tones of voice,

Different word choices,

Different ways you can be honest and authentic while still being kind.

You're not trying to shove your truth down anyone's throat here.

This is really about being true to yourself and expressing yourself in a truthful way.

This can be a bigger challenge than we might think.

To be really honest with ourselves is an arduous thing.

It demands a lot,

Especially if we're not used to it or we're accustomed to little white lies or shading things.

It begins with,

Can you tell the truth to yourself?

Sometimes the truth is that you don't know what the truth is.

So it's helpful then to think in terms of honesty and authenticity,

Which can be easier to find in ourselves.

If you don't know what's true,

Can you at least be honest about that?

Bear in mind that when you do this,

You're opening pathways in your mind,

In your body,

Your emotional body and your subtle body.

These are pathways through which insight can move.

This is what enlightenment is about.

It's not about having big experiences.

It's about these nitty gritty moment to moment decisions.

So the invitation today is to be truthful all day,

Kindly,

As honest and real and authentic as you can be,

Not only with others,

But most importantly with yourself,

Even within the dialogue in your own mind.

Be as honest as you can in those inner conversations.

This is a powerful cutting edge of growth,

A powerful portal to expansion and evolution in our lives and in our relationships.

So go gently.

If you find there are moments when you did not quite say the truth,

Just noticing that is in itself a powerful exercise.

There's no blame or shame in this process.

We're just noticing our conditioned responses,

Our tendencies to sometimes not quite tell the truth,

Having compassion for ourselves when perhaps we feel unable to do so,

And at least being honest with ourselves with great kindness and compassion.

So try it out.

Be well,

My friends.

Meet your Teacher

Tess CallahanTruro, MA, USA

4.9 (112)

Recent Reviews

Sheryl

January 26, 2026

Thank you, Tess. This came at just the right moment for me as I work to open my throat chakra in an honest way and was very thought provoking in a gentle way. I look forward to reviewing your other content. 🙏🏽✨💙

Don

October 25, 2025

I think we edit the story without bad intention, but to make our reality tolerable to ourselves.

Katie

October 17, 2025

Arduous indeed. Thank you for your supportive words. I walk this way.

Michelle

October 15, 2025

Thank you Tess. This is good medicine for me today 💕

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© 2026 Tess Callahan. All rights reserved. All copyright in this work remains with the original creator. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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