Candor, especially open and honest candor, has an inner power that one can feel. While candor can be used as a weapon, I that when it is part of a dialogue that the power it comes with often brings hope and possibilities along. When anyone is candid, they are vulnerable. Candor invites others into a conversation that inevitably becomes more than a single perspective. It is a gateway to possibilities.
Being candid is rarely easy.
How does one admit one’s weaknesses? When one man said that he “was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it—and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else.” (1 Corinthians 2.3) What was he really saying?
Is there a way of being vulnerable while remaining safe? Being candid means that others will know the inside you. It is likely that s/he will understand your fears. S/he may see your weaknesses. Whatever defenses one has will not hold others out after one has shared what is on the other side. Candor is its own gateway to the More that exists within each.
Once one has been candid, what comes next? Do you think it is safe to let others walk with you? If being candid is an invitation join a journey, what risk does extending the invitation bring? Will your invitation be rejected? Is there a chance that it could be exploited? Not everyone can or should be trusted.
I listened to a candid conversation and realized that I was holding a priceless invitation.
I was being invited into the inside of another. The conversation was a detailed picture of their soul. I held a trusted opportunity to be part of something greater than what they currently had. Just being in this space was a gateway.
The realization of trust came with a sense of responsibility. I was now a steward. By being present, I was expressing my willingness to share life’s burdens. I had a role to play. The story continues.
