Besides the obvious truth (“I am a human being”) and the spiritually yet-to-be experienced truth (“I am pure consciousness, free and eternal”), what is the truth in me now, at this moment?—this is an important question that every spiritual seeker has to grapple with.

The truth in me is my values, my ideals, my principles—and my efforts to live up to them. It is these that lend authenticity to a person’s life. It is these that define a person.

The world around us may use different criteria to judge people. How others see a person may be—and usually is—very different from how the person sees himself or herself. If we allow others to define us and have no ability to define ourselves, we open the door to weakness, doubt and anxiety.

It is a helpful practice to ask these questions: what are my values? Is there anything in my life I will never compromise with? Is there anything in my life for which I’d be willing sacrifice everything else?

The answers to these questions determine the truth in me at the present moment.