Is “Speaking the Truth” helpful or harmful?
We often use “I am just speaking my truth” as an excuse to be unaccountable for the impact of our words.
We use popular personal development teachings of “You can’t make anyone feel anything” as an excuse to be unkind and hurtful. While this teaching may be fundamentally true, life is not absolute. We do have influence on others. The words we speak and the actions we take do create an impact.
Before “speaking your truth” ask yourself:
“What do I intend to create with my words?”
“What are the possible impacts of what I am about to say?”
Take accountability for what you say to others. People matter. You do have the ability to influence the environments you show up in. Hard conversations can be had with kindness and empathy.