TrueLife - 10 Reasons to Speak Truth to Power

Episode Date: December 19, 2023

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Darkness struck, a gut-punched theft, Sun ripped away, her health bereft. I roar at the void. This ain't just fate, a cosmic scam I spit my hate. The games rigged tight, shadows deal, blood on their hands, I'll never kneel. Yet in the rage, a crack ignites, occulted sparks cut through the nights. The scars my key, hermetic and stark. To see, to rise, I hunt in the dark, fumbling, fear. Hears through ruins maze, lights my war cry, born from the blaze.

The poem is Angels with Rifles. The track, I Am Sorrow, I Am Lust by Codex Serafini, check out the entire song at the end of the cast. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the True Life podcast. This is another version of 10, 10, 10, 10, 10. This is the series where we go through 10 reasons, 10 ideas, or 10. 10 ways in which you can make your life better. 10 things that I've been thinking about. 10 things that if you take a moment to think about can really help your life.

So here we go. Today's edition is 10 reasons to speak truth to power. Number one, moral integrity. Speaking truth to power upholds a commitment to moral principles, fostering a sense of integrity that transcends personal gain. Think about that for a moment. Think about the way in which, which you feel when you find yourself in the presence of someone who has authority over you,

who has power over you, and they're telling you to do something you know is wrong. There's an overwhelming sense of dread. It may not be overwhelming at first. It may burrow into your soul like a little bed bug, but if you don't do anything about it, it will faster and it will begin to eat you up from the inside. That little gnawing voice that calls to you. You should have said something. Hey, you should have said something.

And pretty soon you'll see it everywhere. If you don't have the moral integrity to stand up and speak truth to power, then you give your kids, you give those people that look up to you, you give them a pass to put their tail between their legs and not speak truth to power to. Don't do that. You're better than that. You don't deserve that.

Say what's on your mind, even if it's scary. Even if it's wrong, do your best to say it in a way that is respectful. Number two, a catalyst for change. Truth has the power to challenge the status quo, serving as a catalyst for societal and institutional transformation. When you stand up, especially in front of a group, and you have the courage to say something, people are watching.

People are thinking the same thing you are. And if you're fed up with something, if you're upset about it, chances are that there's probably other people that feel the exact same way. And when you speak out, you're like that stone thrown into a cool, calm bed of water. Your words have a ripple effect, the same way that stone thrown into that pond has a ripple effect. And if you have the courage to speak your truth, it will radiate outwards and it will have an incredible change. It will resonate with other people and it will be the catalyst for change. But you have to do it. Someone has to speak up. Someone has to be that voice. Otherwise, the negative

feedback loop. The pattern continues to happen over and over and over again. Personal growth. Confronting powerful entities with truth cultivates personal courage and resilience contributing to individual growth. If your life is not where you want it to be, you have to begin thinking about why that is. The path of growth must be chosen over and over and over again, which means you've got to do something every day that scares you. Speaking truth to power is a good way to figure out what you really think about yourself, your life, and your loved ones. That's what it comes down to. That's where the real growth is. Having the ability to stand in front of someone who you may think has authority over you. Maybe they write your paycheck. Maybe they

Maybe you owe them money or something. I don't know. You know, whatever it is, whatever reason you've given them authority over you, begin challenging it. Like, why did you give that person authority over you? Who is this person? Are they right? Do they care about you?

Do they have your best interest in mind? Think about that things on a daily basis and surround yourself with people with whom you're not afraid to challenge. Because the truth is no one gets better unless we're challenging each other. Inspiration for others. Bold truth-telling can inspire others to break silence, creating a ripple effect that empowers the collective voice against injustice.

We kind of talked about the stone in the pond right there. You never know who you're going to influence. You never know if your words may be the clarion call or the ringing of the bell that is an alarm for somebody else. Maybe someone finds courage in your voice and that allows them to break a cycle of abuse. You don't know. But if you begin doing it, I promise you you will begin finding your voice to be like a light that others follow. And all of you have it. Every one of us has it. More people need to turn our lights on.

Prevention of harm. Speaking truth is a moral duty to prevent potential harm that may result from unchecked power and corruption. What's the old saying? The only thing that evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing. If good men and women shut their mouth and do nothing, then we will get the world we deserve. Corruption is a force that seeps in, and it operates in darkness.

It operates in areas where we don't talk about things. And when you don't talk about things, you allow them to have power over you. And no one listening to this deserves to have that in their life. Prevention of harm is something that more people should be talking about and that prevention comes when we start speaking truth to power. Historical legacy. Truth tellers often leave an enduring legacy, becoming beacons of courage remembered throughout history for their impact on positive change.

The idea of being a martyr is scary. Do you want to be the person that stands up and gets nailed? I think in Australia they have what's called the Tall Poppy Syndrome. The person that stands up too tall is the first person to get whacked. Maybe. Maybe you get whacked, maybe you get perp walked outside your building and told you're dishonest. So what? So what? Most people I know that have stood up and been whacked, it's made them stronger. Maybe not in the very beginning, but over time you realize what happened to you and you

make peace with it and you become proud of it. As long as it's something that you did from a good intention point of view, and if you felt you were standing up for others, then I think. not only will you feel better about it, but the people that are still in that situation, they have to go into that institution every day and they're faced with the truth that you left behind. Something to think about. When you grow out of a position, you leave it behind and others are still there to wallow in it. So think about that.

Wherever you're at, try to make your environment better. And by speaking truth to power, you do that. You leave a legacy, you leave a residue. Defiance of oppression. Speaking truth to power is an act of defiance against oppressive forces. Refusing to succumb to fear and intimidation. This is a giant one.

All our lives were being conditioned by the carrot and the stick. Hey, you do this, we'll give you a little bit of money. Hey, you don't do this, we're going to whack you. We've got this big stick over here. And without us, you can't make it. You do what you're told or we're going to hit you with this. stick you're not good enough you're not strong enough you should be afraid you're going to lose everything the world constantly tries to drive that into you but it's bullshit it's complete bullshit you as an

individual have the power the authority the courage the brilliance the light the understanding you have all that and it's ready to go it's seeping out of your pores if you just take a moment to believe in yourself you can become the light that is the defiance of oppression Speaking truth to power, it is an act of defiance. It's an act of defiance against oppressive forces, and you are strong enough to stand up to it. Authentic leadership. Individuals who speak truth to power exemplify authentic leadership, fostering trust and credibility among those they influence. We're in a desert of unauthentic behavior.

It's everywhere. And it's maddening and frustrating because I know so many amazing people that if they believed in themselves enough to be the authentic selves all the time, if they were to the world, the person that I see with whom I talk to, I think the world would be a beacon of light. It's scary to be authentic. You don't want to lose. You don't want to live in fear and we're afraid of what people may think. if we tell them some of our ideas that we think might be silly, but we shouldn't be afraid. It's your authenticity that makes you unique.

It's your authenticity. That's your skills. That's the light that you have to bring to the world. That's your gift. And if you don't use it, it's like having a gift card you've never used. You know, it's like being an incredible, talented individual and never doing that thing that you're incredibly and talented at.

Take a chance. Go out there, be your authentic self, and you will draw to you the people that are attracted to you. It's like a magnet. You'll bring in the people and then it will surround you. The people you need, your tribe, they're waiting for you to show your true colors. Contribution to knowledge.

Truth contributes to the collective understanding of reality, enriching societal knowledge and wisdom. Your contribution. The way you see it may be a way. no one else sees it. And maybe your words when you speak truth to power helps someone see the world in a different way. Maybe the person you're talking to is naive. Maybe the person in a position of authority is ignorant. Maybe they don't understand what you do. And so they're acting out of this naive position. Maybe your words can shed light on how they can have a better life. It's worth a try.

Long-term stability. Society's built on truth and accountability are more likely to achieve long-term stability and sustainable progress. I think that speaks volumes of not only institutions and governments, but also families. When you think about speaking truth to power, accountability is what people need in order to thrive long-term. You know this cat named Luther, we used to talk about relationships sometimes. And he said, if you ain't fighting, someone's bullshit. It's true, right?

If you're always getting along with somebody, then somebody's bullshiting. We sometimes hurt the people closest to us. But sometimes those arguments, they're truth to power. They're things we've been holding on to. And those things need to happen. That's all we got for today, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you find these reasons as much as I did helpful in order to shine light into the world and be the very best version of your spouse.

Speak truth to power. It's empowering. It'll make you feel better. and you should be living a life of authenticity because damn it you deserve it that's all we got for today I hope you have a beautiful one we'll be back tomorrow with 10 10 10 10 more things

Aloha