“Not everyone can see the truth, but everyone can be the truth.” ~ Franz Kafka.
I remember years ago, while working at a chemical dependency treatment center, when in Group ~ topic being ‘the next right thing’ ~ a participant asked: “But what if you don’t know what the next right thing is!?”
Wowzer! Great question !!
I followed that up with a question of my own. (Ah – those answer-a-question-with-a-question techniques social workers, counselors, therapists, life coaches, parents ….. and the highly suspicious [hahaha] have learned to do.) 😉
My question to this individual was: “Do you know what the next wrong thing is?” to which they nodded and responded ‘Yes!’
The rest of the Group time flowed with lively discussion. The crux was that each one thought and felt they had to have, be, Know and do the ‘perfect right thing.’ Balderdash. (great word!)
Welcome to the human race.
What DID surface the most, in this lively discussion ~ and long afterwards ~ during dinner time and free time and evening wrap-up ~ was that there was that still-small-voice, or that gut feeling, or that moral compass … whatever one wants to call it …. that was active inside for most everyone.
After being given permission to explore possible responses to a situation(s), and after hearing cohorts talk about their ideas (and fears), after being shown that they were not going to be judged during this learning curve, almost every single one came up with “a next right-er thing” to do in different scenarios.
{Interestingly too, responses were actually less about doing-for-show. Initially, they flowed around not-getting-in-trouble-again, not-pissing-off-the-loved-one/boss/judge again, not … not … not. However, soon responses began to flow around feelings and sensations: thankfulness, compassion, kindness, doing for others (in a non-coda way), lending a helping hand, laughter, gratitude, speaking appreciation and thanks. All natural feel-good feelings inside.}
That’s the most any of us humanoids can aim for: the next right-er thing. I may not see the truth (or in this case, the bestest answer), yet I CAN act-as-if and Be that semblance (or resemblance) of truth. Growing closer and closer to being the person I not only want to be, being the person willing to be the person I think I would enjoy knowing and being.
Be the truth. Your truth.