truth-telling
In Never Finished, David Goggins recommends a particular activity for the purpose of self-excavation which looks something like this:
Go for a walk
Take a voice recorder
Record yourself telling the stories of your deepest traumas, biggest fears and the source of your greatest pain
Tomorrow, listen to your recording
The day after, listen to your recording
Keep listening until you hear your story differently
Record a new story
Goggins says “It’s so easy to get lost in the fog of life. Tragedy hunts us all, and any event that causes suffering will linger longer than it should if you let it. It is a mental trap set by fear. We cannot afford to remain afraid of cutting away dead weight to save ourselves…You don’t need anybody else to free you from your trauma. You can do it on your own. I had to come to the conclusion that while I didn’t deserve any of it, I was my main problem and primary obstacle”
As a self-proclaimed therapy participant and enthusiast, I think some aspects of self are best examined with the support of a professional. Yet therapy is at best, semi-regularly accessible for some of us, and at worst, totally inaccessible for the rest of us depending on financial barriers, the growing demand on the helping services and individual sociocultural capital.
To have tools at hand, to support autonomous and constructive analysis of internal barriers seem an integral aspect to health and wellbeing.
I am reminded of what bell hooks says about honesty: “The heart of justice is truth telling, seeing ourselves and the world the way it is rather than the way we want it to be.”
To me, this seems like it is a truth telling exercise. When I am able to articulate and hear myself, I can position myself as participant and observer. I can choose whether to agree or disagree. I can acknowledge what may be true, and what may not be.
The more honest I can be with myself, the more I can tell the truth in my daily life and promote honesty with others.