Original Poem by Tamrah Barber, Inspired by Muhammad Ali and Hazrat Inayat Khan
The face of truth unhidden
The eyes of truth unveiled
The tongue of truth is sharp and kind
Truth will always prevail
The shoulders of truth unburdened
The breast of truth is right
The soul of truth is grounded
The spirit of truth is light
The heart of truth is loving
For truth will set it free
The hands of truth are serving
All humanity
Walk gently along this journey
With wisdom as your guide
And Truth your moral compass
Your Greatness shall arise
I want to encourage you today to never be afraid to speak your truth.
Oftentimes we allow our fear of judgment to get in the way of our authenticity and vulnerability. But my choice to be vulnerable, transparent, and open is where I have found my greatest personal power. Sharing my story and sharing my truth has been so empowering over the years.
When I finally decided to share my story it was like giving birth to a new me. I was no longer entrapped by feelings of shame and I was no longer a victim to the events that happened to me. I was freed of it all, which opened me up to a new level of accountability and responsibility that I never knew was accessible.
Yes, my ego immediately got on the defensive, and I started thinking about what other people might think and whether or not I would regret it. But I never did, and even if people had their judgments, I realized that their judgments had nothing to do with me.
As William Ernest Henley wrote in his poem Invictus… “I am the master of my fate...I am the captain of my soul.”