"Know your truth"

By this, I do not at all mean "Know the truth about the JFK assassination" or "Know the truth about 911".  What I actually mean is emphasised by the second word, being 'your'.

Let me put this into context and personalise this for a while...

When I was of that age, twelve... thirteen...  I busted my brains out in order to fit in and to conform at school.  One scenario that springs to mind was the fact that it was 'hip' and 'trendy' to wear ones school rucksack over the one arm (even though the rucksack is obviously designed for both arms).  I don't know if this is still 'cool' today, but the amount of stick that I had to put up with from other schoolmates was... well... as you might expect!

So what was the answer?... I conformed. (The only answer I guess!)  I spent the next few years wearing the rucksack over the one shoulder, even though it was uncomfortable, it often slipped off and the pressure from the weight of the bag on one shoulder strap instead of two (as deigned) often meant that the strap would eventually tear off therefore meaning more frequent replacements were necessary.

So where does this obsessive and insecure need to conform come from?  The answer is simple... NOT 'knowing your truth'.  It is kind of a well known cliché that when you are of that age, as I was with the rucksack, you are often of the insecure opinion that you are an outsider or that your being different (in whatever way) makes something 'wrong about you'.  This way of thinking alone is nonsensical, as ironically it is virtually every kid in school who thinks that way, therefore there is nothing but difference and diversity. 

Diversity being a wonderful thing, being physically and spiritually torn out of kids form an early age by the education/indoctrination system, creating tribal insecurity and lack of understanding and tolerance of non-conformists in later life.  You can start to see the major contributory problem here and where failure to understand this lesson in question comes from.

Anyway, back to the lesson itself and my childhood.  I continued to let it get to me until I grew up a few years later and when I independently came to the understanding and the way of thinking that I still carry and hold as sacred today (I couldn't speak out against the new world order now if I didn't) and that is, as I say to 'know your truth'.  Not in a "screw you" sense of insecure "I don't care what you or anybody else thinks of me so I'm gonna do what I want" as this only works one way and causes other people to be equally unsure and insecure.  

It is to know your truth about who you are from inside and not what some religion or political idealist or peer pressure or even heritage is telling you that you are and equally to understand that others live by the same concept.  The ancients called this concept 'Namaste' (“I honour the place within you where the entire Universe resides.  I honour the place within you of love, light, truth and peace. I honour the place within you, where, when you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, there is only One of us.")  Some today call this 'unconditional love' as do I.

So anyway, when that time came and I left school and was responsible to myself and for myself alone, I made certain decisions that intentionally and by design caused people to 'single me out' in the street or at that time in my life, at college.  Conformity (and/or lack thereof in a dogmatic society) like the rucksack in the previous story can be best demonstrated visually, i.e. in ones own physical appearance.  I was back then and still remain a big fan of the James Bond movies to the same extent that some people obsess about football or music.  So where others can openly voice this by wearing 'Leeds United' clothing without any fear of ridicule for 'being into football' (barring any expected heckling down to team rivalry) because liking football to such an extent is common > therefore conformity > therefore acceptable, I decided to wear a jacket with the 007 logo on the front and 'Tomorrow Never Dies' logo (which was the latest movie at the time) on the back to show one small part of my 'truth'.

And what was the result?  I was constantly heckled at in the street by both school-kids and older.  And at college even the under-dogged 'special needs' students made fun of me (if you can believe it).  But more importantly did I let it bother me?  Do I even need to answer that?.  I was free for the first time, because for the first time, not only did I not care, it was no concern of mine what they thought because I 'knew my truth'.  In fact, the more they heckled, spat remarks and scoffed at me the more sure I was of my own realisaion of my 'truth'.

So to sum this up, be yourself and know your truth.  If someone says that you are a bad person, crazy, greedy or selfish and this upsets you, ask yourself (without bias or pressure of any kind) if you really are.  Most of the time such accusations come from those who are themselves 'upset' inside and need to throw such remarks in order to slow other peoples thriving spirit and self esteem down to their insecure level.  It is especially hard when this comes from close family or friends, but it happens all the time nevertheless.

Never let anyone else tell you what or who you are, whether it is positive or negative.  It is always good to be appreciated, but only you can dictate your own destiny (although it sounds cheesy).  The power to walking ones own path in life comes from within and only within which is where your 'truth' resides.  Never let that go under any circumstances and you will always be free.

"....know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."