Yesterday was quite interesting. By the end of the day, I found myself seriously pondering, “What is truth?”
Early in the day I received a forwarded, lengthy email from a friend asking me if I would read the information and give my opinion. Apparently a friend of hers had been using a particular product, but the author of the email was working to get her friend to switch from her current product to the soy product that she sells.
The entire first part of the narrative was filled with statements condemning the current product, while the second half of the message listed all the convincing reasons she should switch to her brand of product. What was entirely ironic about the whole situation is that email I read just prior to opening my friend’s request was a documentary about the theorized harmful effects of soy, coupled with positive comments about the raw ingredients in the product that the friend was currently using.
As I am writing this, I just went back and copied part of my response to my friend: “My very first comment is, whoa, I am always leery when I hear someone outwardly slam someone else – as the author of that article did. It tells me something about the integrity of the author – which then taints my opinion about the integrity of the products. She lost her credibility with me along with her tactic, product unseen.”
My bottom line philosophy: “You never lift yourself up by putting someone else down.”
I went on to cite some resources and statistics, but at the end added, “What is truth? Who knows?” Having said that, I then began to reflect on a scenario that occurred this weekend.
While at a wedding, a group of us, including the minister, were engaged in a lively conversation. The minister is simply adorable. In fact, though I have known him for years, I continue to forget that he is a minister. He is quick, bright, witty, fun, and yet very, very wise. A young man in the group, clearly wanting the minister’s approval, asked him what he thought of his girlfriend. The minister replied, “I don’t know. I haven’t yet looked into her eyes. I have to look deep into her eyes for several seconds and see if her eyes are clear. So many people do not have clear eyes. They are full of muck, pain, all kinds of stuff.”
Later in the evening, we found ourselves in the same circle of friends. This time the minister was standing next to the young man’s girlfriend, only she was turned away engaged in a separate conversation. The minister tapped her on the shoulder, and she immediately turned to face him. He looked deep into her eyes, not saying a word. At this point, she started laughing, wondering what he was doing. After several long seconds, he turned away from her to the young man and said, “Her eyes are clear. Plus, she chose you, and I know you. She’s OK.” Everyone laughed, yet we all knew what he said was true.
Is it true that the eyes are the window to the soul? When searching for truth, might we look deep into the other person’s eyes?
I recall reading an advertisement some months ago in the Nightingale-Conant Newsletter. The spotlighted author, an investigator all his life, was extremely accurate in determining who committed crimes – simply by making various statements and carefully watching the suspects’ eyes.
Then later yesterday afternoon I went to have some follow-up lab drawn. When I was quoted the price of the lab work, I was totally astounded. I was asked to give my credit card number to cover anything that my insurance would not pay. When finished, I asked the tech her opinion about the capillary vs venous blood tests for what I was having done. I explained that I had previously had the capillary blood tests and the cost was a third of the price. She replied, “Let me get my supervisor. She is so knowledgeable about all of that.”
When the supervisor arrived, I explained that I had been researching the difference between the two types of testing and wondered her opinion. I explained the well know sources who strongly state that the capillary blood tests are far superior to venous. The supervisor went to great lengths to explain to me the various reasons that the venous blood tests are superior. As she went through her thorough explanation supporting her belief, I found myself looking deep into her eyes, searching for truth. I felt good about what I saw. However, I left the lab the same way I came – confused. I had just collected yet another “truth” but still not certain as to what is truly true.
On the drive home I again pondered, “What is truth?” One thing that came up for me is that something can be true for the moment until more information is discovered. Then there becomes a new truth.
I thought about my own situation. When I first learned about natural hormone balancing and personally experienced the wondrous effects of progesterone supplementation, balancing sex hormones became a truth for me. It wasn’t until much later that I discovered the truth about the relationship of the adrenal glands and thyroid gland along with the sex hormones. When one of the three is out of balance, the others can also be affected – so much so that one wonders, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?”
“Truth” is an interesting phenomenon for us humans. The truth is always there – always has been and always will be. The challenge for us is to discover the truth. People generally mean well when they share their beliefs, but we must be responsible to do our own investigation.
At the end of the day, when we have gathered our research and looked into the eyes, perhaps the best source to determine truth is that soft, all-knowing, internal voice that nudges us one way or the other. It’s that feeling that comes over us when we need to make a decision. Some call it intuition. Some call it a gut feeling. Some call it Source. Whatever you call it, perhaps it is our best guide to help us when searching for truth?
