Saturday, January 9, 2016

I Dare You

Yes, I dare you to __________.  Fill in the blank.

So what is it?  What did you fill the blank with?  Was it personal? Was it directed toward me?  Remember the game, Truth or Dare?  Sometimes I think that life is a little like that game.  It can contain all the silliness and absurdity of the things we dreamed up in our younger years.  Someone daring us to kiss someone else, or share the truth about whether or not we have ever kissed someone.  Think about it.  Today we are faced with those sort of challenges.  Do we tell the truth about who we are?  Do we dare to be real?  Do we tell someone honestly how we feel?  The truth and the dare are so much closer now that we are older.  Do we dare step out and tell our truth?
In the game it was often embarrassment or fear of judgment that made us choose the dare.  Then there were a few of us that just loved the excitement of trying a dare!  The growing anticipation can be intoxicating.
Today we face the question of our truths all the time.  The truth is that none of us are promised a tomorrow.  So, do we dare to tell that person that we love them?  Do we dare to put ourselves out there and risk disappointment or rejection?  Do we dare to do the thing we have been putting off?  I know I hesitate to make that call or send that email, all the time.  I do foolishly hold on to the thought that there is always a tomorrow.  And, I have been burned by that magical thinking a time or two.  Thankfully, I have gotten better at acting on letting someone know that I care.  When a friend comes to mind, I do try to reach out and let them know that I am thinking of them.  It doesn't have to be a long drawn out conversation or email.  The simplest reminder can change someone's world and put a smile on their face.
I do understand that not everyone can shout their truth from the rooftops.  Nor do they have the freedom to, in some cases.  Having at least one person in your life that you can be completely honest with is an enormous blessing.  Having at least one person that knows your whole truth and that you dare to just be fully yourself with, is freeing.  There are a couple of people like that in my life and I am forever grateful!  I made a very conscious decision about 15 years ago to no longer hide my truth.  I had felt like I was living a lie and it became intolerable to me.  Part of it was about spanking and I had come to the point that I no longer cared what anyone thought.  I didn't flaunt my truth.  I also didn't hide it.
I welcome questions and comments.  Those that know me, know that they will get the truth.  Sometimes, I do ask them first if they are sure they want the answer.  Especially if they are asking about my past.  I don't shy away from the questions anymore.  That said, I also believe that truth can be used as a weapon to hurt others.  (Something like a *back-handed compliment* But, I will leave that for a different blog post.)  I want to be wise about how I chose to answer someone.  Think about it this way: Having a 5 year old ask you where babies come from, the truth you give them will be very different from the truth you give a child of 13.  Truth should never be purposely overwhelming.  Truth sometimes is used for the shock value of it.  To me, that is just cruel.  Dare to be kind and caring in your truth!
That dream you have secretly inside you, dare to do one small thing today towards making it real.  Do you dream of a raise in pay?  Dare yourself to begin listing your attributes and the reasons you might deserve to be considered for a raise.  Dare to list the areas you believe you need to improve.  Do you dream of one day being spanked?  Dare to put that wish in writing for yourself.  Dare to take risks, CALCULATED, risks.  Keeping yourself safe should be the number one priority in any dare!  Playing the game truth and dare, you would never follow through on the dare to drink a glass of bleach!  So, don't be foolish as you take those little steps forward.
Embrace your truth and dare to be yourself!  Come on, I dare you!

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