Satya- truthfullness

"Can you feel truth as a physical reaction to the energy that is present, long before the mind has captured the words?  Tears may fall spontaneously as your heart unfolds, ready to receive.  With energy and words that dim truth, do you experience a tightening in the body that releases a wash of fear and anxiety?  The heart rests when it is in Satya." - Nischala Joy Devi, The Secret Power of Yoga,  p.184

Notice how you exaggerate, embellish, or even just change the truth slightly when you speak.  The Buddha said enlightenment is freedom from residues.  We can think of residue as what is left behind when our speech is not truthful.  We worry about what we said, we wonder if our speech caused harm, we wonder if our lie will come back to bite us.  If we say what we believe to be true and keep it at that, we are cultivating harmony in our life.

"Is it true?  Is it kind?  Is it necessary?" -Sufi saying

"Most people will not remember what you said or what you did.  But they will remember how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

Notice the truthfulness of your own thoughts.  Do you self-denigrate or self-aggrandize?  Do you follow story lines that are not true, therefore creating problems for yourself and others?