Many Things Can Be True at the Same Time
Life isn’t black and white — many things can be true at the same time. There are far more shades in life than just two. And thankfully so. A person can feel relieved and sad at the same time, loving and tired, calm and confused. We can be completely lost and still heading in the right direction. This diversity of life is what makes the human experience so uniquely fascinating.
Two seemingly opposite things can be completely true at the same time — all at once. I can miss Finland and at the same time want to live here in Bali. I was deeply sad and relieved at the same time when it was my father’s time to leave this world. One truth doesn’t cancel out the other. Both truths can coexist.
Accepting that two opposing things can both be equally true. Accepting things as they are may ease the process. We all have our own truths. What feels true to me may not feel true to you at all. Accepting that each of us can and are allowed to have our own truths. That also brings relief. Acceptance can open up space for both truths — for new perspectives. One truth doesn’t invalidate another — someone else’s experience may be different as yours, but just as real as yours.
Conversations where two differing opinions meet can be incredibly enlightening, if both parties remain respectfully open-minded. Different truths can enrich both sides, bringing completely new perspectives to the table. In fact, it may even be a richness in itself that there are so many different opinions, viewpoints, and truths.
These days, there are very few things I consider to be one hundred percent true in my life. More often, I think, “Well, this feels true to me.” But I also often add, “…and I might also be wrong.” In many ways, we are probably “wrong” about a lot of things in this life. In the end, we likely understand only a tiny fraction of this universe. And that too, is something we can accept. The ”truth” is usually just a subjective experience.
I also no longer feel a strong need to be right or to try to understand the truth about everything. When I was younger, that need was stronger — the need to be right, to prove myself to others and to myself. I wanted to be right and knowledgeable, because it gave me an illusion of control and acceptance. There was a constant urge to prove myself to the world through my truth. It’s quite exhausting. Of course, there are things I may know a lot about and want to share, but I no longer present them as the truth. I can offer my perspective without expecting others to take it as their own truth.
Letting go is freeing — also in this. <3