Like many of my blogs, I just get started writing something when Spirit takes the opportunity to expose me to something else that completely turns my thinking (and writing) around. There are no accidents, and this time is no different. This essay, like me, is a work in progress, so let me begin:

    As I once again sit down to write this blog (now retitled and refocused), I’m reflecting on an incident that occurred just yesterday on my weekly grocery-shopping trip. I finished scanning and bagging my purchases at a self-checkout station when the screen informed me that I had to wait for an attendant to collect my discount coupons before I could finish my purchase. A large light began flashing above the checkout station to call the attendant and, as I looked around the area, I saw the lights above two more of the six stations flashing as well.

    At one station, an elderly woman [definition: elderly, an adjective describing anyone older than I am—LOL!] was clearly confused by the touch-screen technology and fumbling to find a non-existent button to push. Only three feet away from her, the attendant was slumped over his workstation with his nose buried in his iPhone, totally oblivious to the three customers awaiting his assistance. I figured that I was probably third in line, so I leaned my body against my checkout station, folded my arms across my chest, and prepared to wait my turn. After some period of time (seemed like eternity), I found myself checking my watch at 20 to 30-second intervals, all the while feeling Impatience rising up within me with increasing intensity over the next few minutes. In the midst of all this, I found myself debating whether I should speak my truth and, if I did, what I should say. As my impatience mounted, I really wanted to say something, but ...

    The elderly woman was still flustered with bewilderment, but the attendant remained totally engrossed in his phone. I noticed that the other customer (who was also watching the situation) was quite visibly annoyed with the attendant and finally approached him with a comment something to the effect of, “Can you get your nose out of your phone long enough to pay attention to customers?” The attendant (also obviously annoyed) reluctantly performed his task and (turning his back on the gentleman) rather gruffly and unconvincingly remarked, “Have a good day, Sir.” Both men spoke their “truth,” but the experience really got me thinking about the subject.

    I wrote a blog about Speaking Your “Truth” almost four years ago and, after reading it again, I stand behind every word of it. But now I think some clarifications are necessary. I’ve observed a number of people over recent months—politicians, religious leaders, some so-called “highly evolved” spiritual people, and of course the general populace—who seem to over-emphasize some aspects of “speaking their truth” while underplaying (yea verily, ignoring) other parts. My ruminations have led me to the conclusion that there is too often a general misunderstanding regarding speaking one’s “truth.”

    One of my wisest teachers, Maitreya (channeled by Margaret McElroy), is very clear regarding the importance of speaking your “truth” for one’s soul evolution as evidenced by the many times he addressed that topic in his writings. However, his writings are equally prolific regarding how and when not to do so. Here are just a couple of examples:

    • “So, you do not like your friend’s clothes or the way they dress. Yet you have to make mention of it. Why? ... Think before you speak. Watch your words. Is what you say your truth? Are you uttering words of comfort, confidence, positive energy? ... There are many who believe they are facing their fear. Their ego has them believing they are also better than others and they look down on those they consider are below them. They judge and criticize others not knowing that, once they say the words which do criticize and judge, those words will bring them back for another round of incarnation. It is sad to see those souls when they return to our world, their true home, for they cannot believe they said what they said. But also, they find they have to go back to the earth plane again.” ~ Maitreya (Newsletter #283, “Talk,” 1/22/2010)

    • “Face the fear, say what you feel you would like to say but with tact and diplomacy or love, or just speak your truth quietly and clearly.” (Newsletter #121, “Past Life Experience,” 9/4/2004)

    Abraham (channeled by Esther Hicks) concurs:

    • “It is always accurate to say that no one who is critical of others really likes themselves. It defies Law. Whenever you see those who are very critical of others, you are actually seeing people who do not like themselves.” ~ Abraham (The Vortex, Where the Law of Attraction Assembles All Cooperative Relationships, 2009)

    • “Whenever you are criticizing, it’s like shouting to the boundaries of the Universe: Bring me more of this please!” ~ Abraham (Facebook: Inspirational Quotes

    Based on these (and many similar) quotes from both Maitreya and Abraham, I believe it is time to consider “Further Thoughts on Speaking Your ‘Truth.’” Yes, we should speak our truth—quietly and clearly (as I wrote in the blog, Speaking Your “Truth”), but not always. Criticism, in particular, is a notable exception to this admonition. The distinctive features of criticism are (1) negative energy, and (2) it is always aimed at someone whose behavior is not in accord with our own beliefs and expectations. In short, our personal opinions (righteously parading as “my truth”) are often projected onto others. Maitreya writes repeatedly that “everyone is entitled to their own truth” and that “no one has a right to push their own truth onto anyone else.” I’ve observed that personal opinions far too frequently take the form of criticism expressed as “my truth.”

    • “Speak your truth quietly and clearly; you don’t have to yell, shout or argue. ... You are entitled to speak your truth to another, as long as you do not choose violence or anger. Just speak your truth, release the throat chakra energy. You will speak a lot better if you do so. ... All that you have to do is to ask we in spirit before you open your mouth. All you have to do is ask us, ‘Divine spirit, please help me to speak to this person in truth and love, without anger, frustration or indifference, or any of the other negative emotions,’ and we will be at your side. We promise you we will place into your mind words for you to say, and you’ll find that your mouth will open and you will say your words and it will be as if a great weight is lifted from you, for you will finally express yourself.” ~ Maitreya (United Nations – SEAT Speech, 6/8/1999)

    • “But the thing is, if you are on your spiritual or metaphysical path, you do not hurt another. You do not say untruth against another, and you try as much as you can to uplift people, rather than put them down. I hope, if you are one of these people, that you will think about your actions. ... It is not good to be on the level of awareness, and moving into a higher rate of vibration and then pull yourself down with actions which are not good for you. Do not, if you can help it, hurt another in any way.” ~ Maitreya (Newsletter, “Metaphysical Principles,” 4/18/2016)

    • “When next time you speak to another, try to say positive things about the person you are speaking about. ... Listen to your conversations and watch what you say to others. Finally, do not listen to gossip, chatter and negative words. If a person cannot say anything good about the person who they are communicating about, it is their problem [their karma]. Somehow though, it often becomes your problem, and then interferes with or upsets the lives of others.” ~ Maitreya (Newsletter #68, “Listening to Others,” 3/6/2003

    • “If there’s an opportunity to praise, I’m going to praise. If there’s an opportunity to criticize, I’m going to keep my mouth shut and try to meditate. If I feel like criticizing, I’ll say, ‘Here Kitty, Kitty’ and I’ll pet my cat ’til that feeling goes away. Within 30 days of mild effort, you can go from one of the most resistant people on the planet, to one of the least resistant people on the planet. And then those who are watching you will be amazed at the amount of manifestations that begin to occur in your physical experience.” ~ Abraham (5/16/2000)

    Maitreya wrote frequently about the importance of speaking your "truth" with love—if you can manage to do so. Considering space constraints, I won’t repeat more of his words here. But there are some bits of sage observation and advice that I believe are relevant and important to the topic:

    • “It ain’t what you say, it’s the way that you say it. ... That’s what gets results!” ~ Sy Oliver & James “Trummy” Young ( American song writers, 1939)

    • “Between what is said and not meant, and what is meant and not said, most of love is lost.” ~ Khalil Gibran (1883-1931; Lebanese-American philosopher, artist, and poet)

    My takeaway from all of this is that I need to learn better the habits of (1) thinking before speaking, (2) speaking my truth only about what I believe for myself and never about others, and (3) speaking with love—or at least with compassion—or not speaking at all until I can meet those conditions. There are other ways of beginning to release that energy if necessary (a topic for another time). In terms of simplifying what to do in any situation, I believe the following quote says it all:

    • “Be kind whenever possible. And it is always possible.” ~ H. H. The 14th Dalai Lama (1935-; leader of Tibetan Buddhism; Nobel Peace Prize 1989)

    Again, “There are no accidents.” Spirit is always primarily concerned with our own soul learning. That is my truth. Now all I have to do is to try to live up to it as a never-ending series of conscious choices moment-by-moment, day-by-day. It is constant monitoring and constant adjusting, monitoring and adjusting, monitoring and adj... (welcome to the world of Conscious Living!). It is about who I Choose To aspire to become, even though it is not quite who I actually have become—yet. If someone were to ask me for a recommendation, I would have to say, “If you so choose, examine your own opinions and apply your own criteria with regard to speaking your truth.” If you truly understand, you will make the best choices.

Have a great month!

Dennis