THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE THIS SUMMER

The above, now (very) famous quote, adopted by many academic institutions around the world today, is originally from the Bible, John 8:32 to be precise.

Whilst its original meaning is not important for this article, it is interesting to note how the meaning of this, or any phrase can be adapted to fit any situation, or any needs. Originally this was said to be Jesus telling Jewish people who did not believe in him and his teachings that if they did, they would know the truth and would be set free [from their sins].

A more modern interpretation of this statement could simply be to observe that untruths, deception or lies can eat away at a person over time. It takes many more lies to maintain a single lie, and at any point the guard can slip, this tightrope is not an easy one to tread and it can be very draining and complex. The truth, whilst difficult sometimes to express, is liberating and simple to exist around once it is out there.

There are a great many more brilliant quotes on truth, and a couple are below with short explanations:

“The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”

Written by Winston Churchill in his war memoirs. A stark reminder that the truth will always win in the end because it is indestructible, independent and ultimately undeniable. Anyone concealing anything with lies must always worry that one day the truth will emerge.

“A lie cannot live” - Martin Luther King Jr. simply stating that lies cannot exist forever, whereas the truth can and will.

This concept can be demonstrated by considering all the untruths about the world that have existed; The flat earth theories, the one about the sun and stars orbiting the earth, believing that sacrificing people would make crops grow better… These beliefs were temporary because they weren’t true. However, If you destroyed every scientific textbook in the world and made up stories about existence again in their place; before too long, every scientific text book would be back, more or less the same. This is because they tell the truth, science is simply explaining what already is there. The context I have given on the truth here is needed in order to deal with the following questions most effectively, which are your homework… but don’t worry, I won’t be collecting it in and marking it, it’s just for you! (Please scribble away!)

Are you being honest with yourself in all aspects of your life?

Are you being honest right now with the people around you in your life about how you are doing, how things are going for you, and how you are feeling?

If not (to either or both of the above), why not? And how could you start to address this?. Are you getting the most you can out of this summer? It has already started incase you haven’t noticed.

How many summers do you have left in your life? A clue is that life expectancy in the UK is around 80. So for me, who is approaching 40, I have seen around half of the summers I will ever see…

Given the above sobering reality, how are you going to make this summer one you will never forget.

We only get one chance at life. Being totally honest with yourself, and remembering that the truth will set you free, are you living a life you can be proud of? Are you living up to your potential? Are you making memories that will be far more important than anything else when your summers are running out?

It is time for home truths this summer, and remember, a lie cannot live, so be honest and take action once you have confronted the truth and been liberated, you will not regret it.

Enjoy the summer, you only get this one once.