It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. 

I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself;

if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul;

if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. 

As I continue to read, study and share the beautiful poem The Invitation I dive into a deeper understanding of myself.  This exploration is a way that I continue to peel away the layers and in hope, help others to do the same.

This portion of the poem has always been a bit tricky for me.  The concept of betrayal is ambiguous and yet so powerful when it is looked at squarely in the eye.  I suppose in truth, we have all betrayed someone at some point in our human-ness.  We have also betrayed ourselves.

At this early stage of the new year, many of us our filled with intentions, resolution, goals and plans for a successful year.  Unfortunately, studies prove that most people with lose their focus and within a short time be finished and fall back into their old habits.  Is this a form of betrayal?

What about the ways we so often begin to speak to ourselves in the dark and uncertain moments? The self-talk that diminishes our very light.  Is that betrayal?

So much betrayal; self-sabotaging behaviors, unwillingness to takes risks, staying in relationships way too long, the fulfilling j.o.b., even that late night too much ice cream thing we do.  Isn’t that all betrayal?

I think what this is here to teach us is that betrayal comes in many faces and it is truly up to us to go after what we want.  It is up to us to speak our truth, regardless if it disappoints another.  It is our divine responsibility to listen to the calling of our soul.

Sometimes this feels like our insides are about to be ripped out.  It is often in this intensity we are faced with disappointing another to be true to ourselves.

The work of the soul can be so painful, and yet it is in this knowing that we cannot betray our own light.  We begin to see that in speaking our truth, we ultimately betray no one.

On the mat this week, we will look at betrayal and our choices to have limiting beliefs, negative self-talk and how must learn to speak our truth–first with ourselves, and then with others.