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The Power of Inner Truth

‘This above all – to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.’

Shakespeare, Hamlet

The way to influence this situation is through your commitment to the truth. Even the most difficult people will respond to somebody they sense is genuinely sincere. But to be successful you must find the right approach. It is a matter of establishing rapport. First you must put aside any preconceived ideas. Be completely open and receptive to whoever is involved. Assume you know nothing about them and that you therefore have everything to learn. In this way, you will be able to step across the barriers between you and look at life from the other person’s point of view. Once you understand what matters to them, you will know how to establish contact. By speaking from your heart, you will make your influence felt. If you go about things in this way, you will succeed in handling even the most difficult situations.

An opportunity for personal growth

The only way to create lasting change is by being true to yourself. Unless you live with integrity to yourself, your life will be shallow and have little meaning. You must learn to be fiercely courageous. Be prepared to stand up for the truth through thick and thin. Do not flatter others or try to impress or manipulate them. Instead, learn to accept people as they are. Put aside all judgment and criticism. Watch, listen and above all, keep an open mind. Try to appreciate all the circumstances involved. At the same time, you must make it clear that you are not a pushover. Do not hesitate to speak the truth, even if it means taking a solitary stand. The fact that you may not have interests in common must not deter you. Deep and permanent bonds between people are based not on mutual self-interest but on truth.

Further aspects of the situation

NINE AT THE BEGINNING

Be sincere. Let your actions be based on what you truly feel to be right. Do not rely on anything outside yourself. The result would be confusion. Do not become involved in anything of a dubious nature.

NINE IN THE SECOND PLACE

Be absolutely genuine in all you say and do. If what you express is the truth, your words will influence the hearts and minds of all those who are in tune with you. Relationships developed on this basis will be deep and lasting. Great happiness will result.

SIX IN THE THIRD PLACE

If you depend on other people to make you feel strong and self-confident, you will be deeply affected by their moods and opinions. You could feel very happy one day and extremely miserable the next. It would benefit you to learn to know your own mind and be more self-reliant.

SIX IN THE FOURTH PLACE

Your loyalty must be to what you genuinely feel to be the truth. Put selfish concerns aside and resist any pressure to take sides. You would benefit from the guidance of someone wiser and more experienced than yourself.

NINE IN THE FIFTH PLACE

If you are so deeply committed to the truth that it permeates all you say and do, you can help to transform the situation. Everybody concerned will be influenced by your sincerity. There will be an extremely fortunate outcome.

NINE AT THE TOP

Watch what you say. Do not boast or make promises you cannot live up to. If you are over-ambitious you will cause serious problems for yourself.