There was excitement in the air! We were going to have dinner with a high school friend whom we had not seen in 35 years. Jay had been Paul's good friend and he was really looking forward to seeing him again. I did not know Jay other than by sight and seeing him after 35 years, he had not changed much physically.
In the time that had passed since high school Jay had become a medical doctor specializing in radiology. He had also become a businessman and discovered that he was not only good at it but enjoyed it and had been very successful over the years. His way of speaking about his success was quiet and unassuming. In fact, it bordered on embarrassment. I felt that he was quite sincere and Paul said later that Jay’s humble demeanour had not changed one iota.
Jay is in the process of looking for a new car. Up until now his cars had been old but got him where he needed to go. He had even been given a ticket at the hospital where he worked for parking his own car in a spot reserved for doctors, because clearly his car could not be that of a doctor! He wanted a nice car and said that while he could afford a luxury car he could not justify the cost. Jay was being true to himself. He could easily have purchased any car to match the status that he had gained in his profession.
As the evening progressed the subject of Reiki arose. Jay had never heard of Reiki. I described the healing practice and shared some of my experiences. He listened carefully and put what I said into a medical context, of how lowering cortisol levels reduces stress and enhances healing. I have heard other Reiki practitioners talk about broken bones mending as they gave a treatment. That, however, has not been my experience but it would've been so easy to share the fantastic stories and pass them off as my own. Yet by doing so I would lose credibility because they were not my truth.
How often do you stray from your truth, your inner values, to keep up with those around you or to make yourself look better? Jay could buy that luxury car but it did not reflect his inner self. When your outer actions reflect your inner values the people around you will know you are being sincere. You will be at peace with yourself and speak from the heart easily and openly. I could feel that sincerity from Jay during dinner. He felt it from me later as we talked about Reiki and sent an email the next day asking how he could get a Reiki treatment.
You will know every time when your actions are not congruent with your values. Feelings of worry and stress will bubble up as you stray from your truth. You will spend your energy worrying about the outcomes of your actions. And you will know you are off course as soon as you take an action and don't feel good about it.
These instances come up in many areas of life and can involve just you. On the long drive home from Toronto last weekend I set the speed control on the car to a limit I felt comfortable with. There were many times when cars came up too close behind me. I had the choice of speeding up or moving over. Speeding up was not comfortable for me. I could feel the stress rise within me every time. I simply moved over and followed my truth.
Why not take some time today to think about where your values do not quite match your actions? There is no need for the added stress in your life, and no need to berate yourself if you have made a mistake, just take the time now to make a course correction. Open up to your truth, trust your values, act on them and bring peace into your life.