In yogic terms Truth, known as Satya, can be defined on three levels: (1) that we speak the truth about what we think, (2) what we feel and (3) what we do.
When we feel out of alignment, it is usually where there is a conflict between what we think and what we feel. When we aren’t honest we feel unsteady, anxious, and uprooted—everything that happiness is not.
In the Yoga Sutras Chapter 2.36, it is presented that if we are “dedicated to the truth and integrity, our thoughts, words and actions gain the power to manifest.” (Translation from Secret Power of Yoga by Nischala Joy Devi).
Truth is the destination, and happiness is the way to travel to get there.
The Yoga Sutras spell out that if we are not balanced mentally, physically, or emotionally, then we are not living our true, naturally happy potential.
Happiness is our birthright. Yoga teaches us that our true nature is bliss. In fact, we are already as happy as we are, or as miserable as we want to be.
Our inability to remember we are already happy stems from 'destination syndrome' where we erroneously believe that happiness is the destination. As if we are trying to get “there” when the truth is we have already "arrived" at happiness. It is when, as John O’Donohue writes, “we feel at home in our life.”
Universal Truths
- All human beings naturally desire happiness.
- Happiness is obtainable through effort and choice.
- Happiness is teachable.
Being truthful brings about an inner ease and happiness flourishes. It is also a spiritual truth that true happiness requires honesty. The more honest you are with yourself, the greater happiness you will experience.
The power of truth influences the power of happiness in amazing ways:
- Truth makes us stop taking things for granted. We wake up to the blessings that exist around us.
- The truth sets us free; there is something that is revealed. When we uncover the truth, we live with having nothing to hide.
- Truth transforms; it begins to reveal the beauty of your best intentions and you shift towards making the changes you need to live an inspired life!
- Truth is calming; in fact, one of its most beautiful qualities is that it is very grounding.
- Truth awakens us to our own best courage to be honest and forthcoming. Dag Hammarskjold puts it like this: “Life only demands the strength you possess, only one feat is possible – not to have run away.”
- The truth makes it is easier to live life being yourself. The Bhagavad Gita puts it like this: "Yoga is the practice of tolerating the consequences of being yourself."
Simply put, the formula is simple: Honesty Makes Us Happy. Economists Rakesh Sarin and Manel Baucells, in their book Engineering Happiness, call it "the fundamental question" of wellbeing: happiness equals reality minus expectations.
Being honest is accepting the reality, dropping expectations and being as happy as we are. Love yourself, love your day, love your life!
