The Power of Releasing the Untruth
Each season, I’ve made a habit of tuning in to the lessons it has for me. So in the spirit of autumn, as I watch the late October winds untether the leaves from their branches, I’ve been asking myself, what I can afford to release that might be holding me back? In the cycle of life, death is just as necessary and just as beautiful as birth. We cannot have new beginnings without the release of that which no longer serves us.
Recently, I’ve identified the culprit, or the saboteur of my own healing: something I like to call “untruths.” Untruths are the limitations I’ve placed upon myself that come from a place of fear. The “never” statements, the “always” statements, the “I can’t” statements. In the past, diagnoses have brought me to this space. But they can also be labels given to us as children, or labels we have given ourselves. They may be concepts that we believe about ourselves such as “I’m not strong enough,” “I’m not smart enough,” “I don’t make enough money,” “I’m not creative,” “I’m too old,” the list goes on. What we often don’t realize is the impact these types of limiting beliefs actually have on our health — mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
One way to look at this concept is by means of energy. Our thoughts, our feelings, and beliefs are all energy. When these thoughts or feelings are repeated, they become habituated, they become a story, or keep us stuck in a pattern. In turn, if these thoughts or beliefs are moving us away from the direction of our truth, our Life Force expresses this energetic state through physical symptoms. Essentially, our thoughts and emotions create our physical reality. (You can learn more about this concept through the studies of Dr. Bruce Lipton — I encourage you to read this or peruse his site).
Now, thoughts, emotions, and beliefs are all a part of being human. So how do we identify whether a thought or belief has the potential to become harmful to us? One of the questions I like to ask myself is “is this true, or is this fear?”
I’ll tell you personally why this has become significant for me…
Six years ago, I had to have a cystectomy to have an endometrial cyst removed, as a result, part of my ovary was removed with it. When I received the news afterward, I was fearful, devastated, really. My doctor also told me I needed to hurry up if I wanted to have kids. Due to life circumstances that was not possible for me. But as a result of my own fear, I started telling myself “my ovary doesn’t work.” I told myself “I probably can’t have kids” which turned into “I’m probably not meant to have kids.”
Now, any of these statements could be the case. But, did I know for certain that these statements were true? Absolutely not. But more importantly, was this a helpful belief for me to have? Through this practice of “truth or fear,” I identified that I had created this story about myself because I was afraid that having hope would result in disappointment. A story that separated me from grief because that grief was so painful.
There are all kinds of ways in which beliefs based in fear can “help” us in some way. Maybe they shield us from grief. Maybe they keep us from being angry or from seeing painful truths in ourselves or in others and how they’ve treated us.
But this is where things can actually become hopeful. If we can adopt beliefs based in fear and this has the power to change our physical state, then we can adopt beliefs based in love and in hope to create positive changes in our physical reality.
Just as a tree releases its dead leaves in the fall to make room for growth in the springtime, before we focus on creating new life and new beginnings based in loving truth, we first have to release the “untruths.”
I have an exercise for you, one I actually practiced myself last night and found to be so healing.
Get a pen and a piece of paper and write down all of your fears, your untruths, the labels you’ve put upon yourself, a diagnosis, anything that has been given to you or that you have given yourself that is not helpful to your growth and healing. Hint: if it comes from a space of fear, it’s time to let it go. When you’re finished, go outside, and find a space where you can safely burn it. As you watch the paper blaze and turn to ash, imagine these untruths leaving your physical body. They are no longer a part of you. This can be really powerful. If you feel tears, I encourage you to let them fall, be with anything that arises. Something that can also ground this practice is journaling about how it felt to let those things go. Note if there are any spaces in your body where you notice a sensation or an absence of one.
Letting go sometimes does not all happen at once. It’s okay if you’re not quite ready to release all of your untruths in one moment. Healing is a lifelong journey. Be gentle with yourself.
This is the message I wish to convey to you:
You are a powerful creator for change in your own life. At the center of your very being, without your symptoms and your suffering, you are already healthy and whole.
My door is always open…
If this article resonated with you and you feel ready to dive deeper into your healing, I would love to chat with you. Send me a message in the form below!