Hello dear ones,
This is the third in a series of posts about cultivating Satya, the yogic concept of truthfulness. I “gave up” lying for the 40 days of Lent, and I noticed myself lying in three scenarios: for expediency, out of embarrassment, and when I don’t know what the truth is. When I don’t know the truth, I blurt out a lie instead of saying “I don’t know.”
Sometimes I’ll answer with what I assume is the truth, or what I can guess that the truth might be, or what I wish was true. But if I were being really honest, I simply don’t know. The real kicker is that when I pretend that I already know, I close myself off from learning. I must first admit that I don’t know in order to gain any new knowledge.
I think this tendency has been around in me for a long while. I had a reputation as a know-it-all when I was younger. I worked hard to make sure I was rarely in a position where I might have to admit not knowing something, to myself or anyone else. I’ve done a whole lot of self-reflection in this regard and have (hopefully) improved over time, and yet, I still lie about it.
It takes a humble heart to admit that you don’t know everything.
In my role as a yoga teacher particularly (where I show up as my best self), I now have the humility to say that I don’t have an answer. When a student asks a question I’m not sure of, I say, “I’ll look that up,” or “I’ll ask my teacher.” This has taken practice, and is a continual work in progress.
Watch yourself this week and notice when you default to guesses or assumptions. Do you have some resistance to admitting what you don’t know? Practice humility instead, and see if that makes space to learn something new.
Much love,
Bear