The truth will set you free

I walked into a shop on New Years Day and in front of me was a little dove necklace carved out of coconut shell. Exquisite.Now I don't usually buy things that I don't need - but I was given a clear direction inside to buy this little dove. And as I turned it over in my hands while waiting to pay, I was 'given' that this little creature represented not just peace in my life (a traditional association for doves), but truth - it was a 'dove of truth'!This felt significant to me, as a theme was emerging in my life at the time (which has continued throughout January) around truth and my relationship to it (subjective though I realise this term is).Anyway, this morning, I woke up with an image in my inner eye (I often get my most powerful 'messages' in the space between sleep and waking) of a dove flying against invisible glass (as those who have been reading my blog will know, I've a touch of the modern-day mystic about me). And it felt like 'the dove was me'. The funny thing was that, the dove was not damaged in any way by flying into the glass. Her essence - of peace, as it happened - was unchanged. But what seemed significant was that she hadn't realised that the glass was there. And this was meaningful to me because it echoed something that is happening in my life right now.Now, I'm largely unafraid of speaking 'my truth' - I have nothing to lose by it. And I am noticing that, as I give voice to a deeper and deeper truth inside me, as I 'allow my soul to speak', there is an opening of people's hearts, not only to me, but to themselves and other people. They are enlivened by the truth... and it kind of 'gives them permission' to speak more truth themselves. But at another level, there can be a very subtle 'closing off' in some people! It can bring to light any insecurities, fears and resistances that we have as yet unhealed (I notice this in particular in those who have a 'vested interest' in maintaining their own belief systems - those whose identity is attached to being part of a certain church, belief system or creed, though this is not always the case). And this can be uncomfortable, until we realise that it's actually a huge 'gift' (a gift to our selves to show us what there is still to deal with - what's barring us from realising our true nature as enlightened, unlimited beings)!Of course, this is being reflected at a macro level in the outer world. With the rise of social media, truths that have been hidden are now coming to light, on a larger and larger scale. And the 'powers that be' are doing what they can - at subtle and not so subtle levels - to control it. And the question comes: How much truth are we prepared - and able - to take (one for each of us to answer on an individual basis, I guess?) I would suggest that we might work towards accepting and embracing it. It's just a mirror, after all. And, though it might be uncomfortable for a while (until we've come to terms with it), the truth cannot destroy us... if we're prepared to embrace it, eventually it will set us free.