Activations: Truth Be Told

This also appears in the September issue of SwimBikeRun St. Louis Magazine.

Activation – noun: making active and effective

The truth is good. Always. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it reveals tragedy, brings sadness, or leads to disappointment, but it’s always good. It needs to be known so we can react to reality.

Sometimes we fear truth because it might force us to change and that can be a scary prospect. But we must face it and be strong, no matter how monumentally painful the truth about something may be.

When a diagnosis is confirmed, it can be bad news. But it can’t be avoided and opportunities to cope or reverse conditions are better when dealt with rather than ignored.

Sometimes we avoid the truth in a relationship. We know it’s not working or that we’re unhappy but we’re not sure we can handle the difficulty in revealing and dealing with the truth.

You may be avoiding the truth about your career or co-worker relationships, knowing that they’re dragging you down but not acknowledging your need to fix the problem.

Maybe it’s the truth about an addiction or dependency. Denial is a comfortable place to be. But you don’t want to be a slave to it.

The time trial in the Tour de France often is referred to as the “Race of Truth.” It’s simple. Who can ride alone from here to there the fastest today? No excuses and nowhere to hide. The truth about each rider’s ability is exposed, on display for all to see.

Running, biking, or swimming truths take place every time we train or race. How far or fast can we go today under these conditions? It’s not just that the truth reveals who is the fastest. It provides us with knowledge about whether we’re making progress and meeting our individual goals.

Some put restrictions on themselves, saying, “I can’t” or “I could never do XYZ.” This might be accurate based on current circumstances, but have you tried or are you willing to adjust your goals so that “I can’t” eventually can become “I can”?

This summer I discovered the truth that I can’t compete at the level that I’d like on two hours of swimming per week. I need to taper, and to get more sleep, and might need to reprioritize some things in my life to reach my goals. It feels good to acknowledge these truths so I can try to improve.

Seek the truth — don’t just project what it is. Try going a certain speed or distance, or doing an activity that you are not an expert in. If the truth is you can’t do it, at least you know. That knowledge prepares you to aim for a more realistic goal.

If you say you can’t you’ll never try — and you’ll never really know the truth of what is out there and what you are capable of doing. In the end, the truth is all there is. I suggest you seek it out.

Respect,
JPD