What Do You Know To Be True?
Oprah Winfrey wrote a book called What I Know To Be True, after she was asked just that question during an interview many years ago. Of all the questions she’d ever been asked, this one had her stumped.
And I’m not surprised - When I first read the question, I was a mess of ‘urgh….well….I don’t know!’ too. After all, as far as obscure questions go, this one is right up there.
1. What Do I Know To Be True?
Positive Affirmations for Your Life
I may only be 25, but a lot has happened in those 25 years.
When I was a teenager, I truly believed that if anything bad happened to me, that was it- the end of life as I knew it. Tragedy had happened, and I was in no way equipped to continue with my life and just simply move onwards and upwards.
A few years later, I realise how wrong I was. What I now know to be true is that your failures, bad decisions and roadblocks do not define you.
What defines you is how you, as a person, react to those roadblocks. It’s absolutely fine to get knocked down….it’s whether you get back up again that makes you the person you are.
2. The Simple Things Matter
Positive Affirmations to Attract Happiness
I think that we all, to some extent, have bought into the idea that ‘the big things in life are most important’. I now know for sure that the small things matter the most to me.
Getting up in the morning, and having a fresh cup of coffee matters to me. It genuinely makes me happy.
3. Seeing my Family Matters.
Spending time doing what I love – working with horses – matters.
Now, I’m not out competing or making a huge name for myself in the equestrian world, and that’s fine. I get immense pleasure from teaching young horses the basics they’ll need to go and spend a happy life with their next owner. To me, that makes it all completely worth it.
4. Being True To Yourself Matters
Live Happier with Positive Thoughts
Being free enough to stand up and make my own decisions matters. What I know for sure is that I want to answer only to myself, and my own conscience. I want to stand up for myself and what I believe in, even if those around me don’t agree, or support me.
My conscience allows me to sleep at night when I know that I’ve been true to myself. Maintaining my integrity is one of the most valuable gifts I can give myself.
5. What do I still want to find out?
With all that said, there are many, many things that I’d still like to figure out.
6. What do I not Yet Know to be True? - Now there’s a Question!
As someone that’s spent a lot of time traveling, I don’t know where my path is ultimately going to take me, or whether I’ll ever settle anywhere.
7. Am I Running from Something?
I honestly don’t know. At what point should I stop being so engrossed with work? Is it unhealthy that I spend a lot of my time working on my own projects? Would that time be better spent doing something else? Who knows.
I’m hoping that in the future I will have more clarity on such important questions.
Question To The Readers
If I were to turn to you, right now, and ask you what you know to be true, what would your answer be? I am talking about those deep seated beliefs that truly guide you.
It’s asking which lessons in life you’ve really learned and internalised as your truest belief system.
It’s not an easy question to answer, and I understand that it takes a bit of soul searching.
Over To You
If you’re feeling a little bit lost in life, and would like more clarity, I’d advise you to simply sit down and think about what you really, truly know to be true.
It may take you some time you figure out, but there will be a set of guiding principles that are taking you through life. You simply need to ask yourself what they are, and whether they are taking you in the right direction.
I think you’ll find the results very insightful.
