There’s a phrase that’s been echoing in my mind lately:
“Duty to Self = Find Truth.”
It sounds simple, almost like an equation scribbled in the margins of a notebook. But this isn’t about math. It’s about something deeper — something essential.
In a world that rewards appearances, distraction, and performance, we often forget that we owe ourselves something before we owe anything to anyone else. We owe ourselves truth.
What does that even mean?
It doesn’t mean inventing your truth to justify every impulse. It doesn’t mean living in a bubble where nothing challenges you. It means something harder. It means searching for truth — earnestly, unflinchingly — even when it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable. Especially then.
It means asking questions like:
Am I being honest with myself right now?
Is this path I’m on truly mine, or someone else’s idea of success?
What values do I claim to live by, and am I actually living by them?
The Authentic Life Isn't Always Easy
We romanticize authenticity as if it’s a constant state — a vibe, a style, a brand. But real authenticity? It’s messy. It’s the moment you realize you’ve been lying to yourself about what you really want. It’s the moment you say no when you always used to say yes. It’s the courage to stop pretending.
Finding truth doesn’t mean you’ll always like what you see. But it does mean you’ll finally stop being a stranger to yourself.
But It Doesn’t End There
Here’s the paradox:
The deeper your truth, the more clearly you see your connection to everything else.
A real duty to self never ends with the self. It dissolves into duty to others, to the world, to the web of life we're all tangled up in. The more honestly you know yourself, the more clearly you feel that your choices ripple out — into the lives of others, into the future, into the very fabric of existence.
Truth carries responsibility.
And if you're really listening to it, it whispers: do no harm.
Not just because it’s moral. But because it’s sane. Because anything less starts to feel like a betrayal — of your own soul, and of everything you’re part of.
Why It Matters
When we live in alignment with truth — not just surface truth, but the deep, quiet, soul-level stuff — everything else begins to shift. Relationships feel more real. Work becomes more meaningful. Even rest becomes more restorative. Because you’re not performing. You’re just being.
That’s what “Duty to Self” really is. It’s not selfish. It’s sacred.
And ultimately, it becomes a duty to life itself.
In a time full of noise, real is radical.
And real care for the world starts with not abandoning ourselves.
If there’s one thing to hold onto today, let it be this:
You are allowed — no, required — to seek truth. Especially your own.
Not because it’s easy.
Because it’s essential.
Because it belongs to everyone.
2016/09/17 at 5:15 pm