I have long believed our word is everything. In times of crisis, it’s all we have so why not make it worth something? Satya, or truthfulness, is the second thread of the Yoga Sutras. It demands integrity to life and to our own self and involves far more than simply not telling a lie. It requires that we be real.
Real comes from the center of our being. Real has boldness. It asks us to live from a place where there is nothing to defend and nothing to manage. A place where we are not hiding or evading. It may not always be pleasant, but we know it’s real.
The Efficiency of Honesty
Honesty is also economical. It just makes sense. There’s no backtracking, no wondering, and much less to clean up. It simply asks that we pay attention and do our best to get it right the first time. Can you imagine being so aligned in word, action and intention that you never have to go back and apologize or make a new agreement?
Perhaps the biggest challenge with Satya is ourselves. We just get caught up in it all and before we know it, we’re running around on auto. How much time has been spent keeping up with too many commitments, promises to self made and broken, and holding onto lofty goals that keep us from being responsible and accountable? We practice being trustworthy by first being honest with ourselves.
The next guideline in Patanjali’s sutras is nonstealing.
Beams of gratitude to Deborah Adele for her wisdom and inspiration.
