The Courage to Be Honest (Inner honesty, without inner judgment)

Yahminah McIntosh
Apr 18
9 min read

I feel led to share something that’s been deeply nourishing for me as I continue growing into this next phase of becoming, one that’s calling for even more honesty, more alignment, and more sacred self-trust.

No it's not the green juice (although it is delicious). Not the walking shoes (Lord knows that I get my miles in and I love it). Not even my favorite essential oil blend (although I do recommend the lavender + Lime combo if you’re into sacred smells and peace-giving vibes).

What’s been complementing my journey in a powerful way lately, is Inner honesty, without inner judgment.

Now, let's get all the way into it.

It’s one thing to be honest with yourself. It’s another thing to stay honest with yourself… without dragging yourself down 17 emotional staircases because you told the truth. We’re real quick to either avoid the truth or punish ourselves for it. Been there. Done that. Got the internal bruises and tension headaches to prove it.

A Little Story (A.K.A. My Daily Practice in Real Time)

So the other day, I sat myself down for one of my “talks.” Yes I talk to myself a lot!

You know the kind of talks where you answer yousrself, lol! I was standing in the kitchen, just minding my business, when I caught myself replaying a conversation from three days ago. (Three. Days. Ago.) My face was twisted, my jaw clenched, and I was having an imaginary argument. I had one hand on the fridge handle and the other on my imaginary microphone like I was on stage. That’s when I said, out loud “Alright, Yahminah…what’s the real reason this is still bothering you?” (and see I don't play about releasing energy because I know just how holding energy and waiting to work through things can affect you. I often like to make sure that I deal with things in real time when I can. And without skipping a beat, my inner voice whispered:

“Because you didn’t feel seen. And you didn’t say anything. You swallowed it like you always used to. And now it’s festering.” Whew. Chile, I had to close the fridge, slide down to the floor, and exhale one of those deep, rib-cage-clearing sighs. Because it was true. But here’s where it got different. I didn’t beat myself up about it. I didn’t judge myself for not speaking up in the moment. I didn’t spiral into the guilt of “you should know better by now.” Instead, I did what I now call Filter Check & Flow.

I asked myself: “Was I silent out of fear, or was I honoring my alignment?” “Am I upset with this person, or with myself for not honoring my voice?” “Is this still true, or has it just become a loop I’ve grown comfortable in?” And then I did the big thing. I let myself be honest about the answers… Without using that honesty as a weapon against myself. (the who is not important right now, what's more important is what I learned, now back to the talk!)

The Wisdom in the Honesty

There is so much power in learning how to be honest with yourself in a way that heals rather than harms. (Get that somebody!) Inner honesty is sacred. But it must be filtered through grace, groundedness, and alignment. I used to confuse self-honesty with spiritual punishment. I thought that if I “confessed it all” internally, I was being noble. But what I was really doing? Recycling pain without releasing it.

Now, I do something different. I run it through my now healthy, cleaned, and aligned filters and lenses. The ones I built over time. With tears, lots of inside work, meditation, therapy, tea, and prayer. Did I mention that this is real work and isn't always easy:

And those filters help me see the difference between:

My wound and my wisdom
My fear and my faith
My shame and my sacred self-awareness

Let’s Talk Throat Chakra (Yes… We’re Going There)

There was a time when I hesitated to talk about things like energy centers or chakras. Not because I didn’t feel the truth of them in my body and spirit, but because I had been taught to fear anything that didn’t fit neatly inside the rigid framework of religious tradition. (ooh chile!)

i wasn't taught this way of thinking by my parents, because they raised me with wisdom and freedom. But through an organization I was once part of many years ago, that nearly stripped me of my identity, my power, and my spiritual clarity. (Stay tuned, because the Life Knowte on that chapter is coming, and I promise you, it’s going to shift something in you.) But I do have to say that I am grateful for that experience because I learned a lot and I survived!

But let me be clear: growth is not rebellion. Expansion is not betrayal. And exploring truth beyond what you were told does not mean you're abandoning faith, it means you're choosing to understand it for yourself. (Ayyyy speak life Yahminah!)

So yes, we’re talking about the throat chakra. Or if that word feels uncomfortable for you, call it what you need to: your voice, your expression, your divine instrument of truth. The point is the same, there is a sacred part of you designed to speak, sing, declare, and release. And when it’s blocked, your entire life can feel stuck. This isn’t about being trendy or mystical for the sake of sounding deep. (Quick side note, because let’s just be honest... Folks who sit around talking in circles, trying to sound deep just to sound deep, whew, they tickle my last pre-fruit-bearing nerve, and yes, I said nerve. Contrary to popular belief, I do have them. I know, I know, some of y’all think I float through life barefoot, humming psalms with angel wings tucked under my jacket, but chile… please. I am absolutely a spiritual being, but I’m having a whole human experience in real time. Which means I still blink twice, take deep breaths, and occasionally have to ask God to help me not say what I just thought. 😂 So just know, when I share, it’s not performance. It’s lived, loved, stretched-through, cried-about, prayed-over, got-a-word-in-the-shower truth. And I only teach what’s been walked out, not what just sounds good. (Say Amen somewbody!)

It’s about learning how your spiritual, emotional, and energetic health are all connected, and how liberating your voice can be one of the most powerful acts of healing you’ll ever experience.

So let’s move with maturity. Let’s explore with reverence. Let’s stop being afraid of the tools that were designed to help us heal.

Because your healing is not unholy. It’s necessary. It’s sacred. And it’s calling you forward.

But here’s what I’ve come to understand as a devoted student of life:

Everything created, even the mysteries we weren’t taught to name, has purpose, rhythm, and divine intelligence woven into it. The body is not just flesh; it’s a vessel of energy, wisdom, and sacred design. And when we learn how to listen to it, healing begins to unfold in layers. Take the throat chakra, for example. Whether you call it that or not, this energetic center? It’s a powerhouse. It governs the sacred intersection between thought and sound, silence and expression. It holds the keys to:

Your voice - not just speaking, but being heard
Your truth - not just knowing it, but standing in it
Authentic communication - the kind that flows from alignment, not performance
Receiving wisdom - not just from others, but from the Divine within

This isn’t about labels. It’s about liberation. Because when this part of you is open, clear, and aligned—your entire life begins to resonate with truth. And when our Throat Chakra is blocked, you’ll know, you'll be able to feel it. You’ll hold things in. You’ll silence yourself at the worst times. You’ll feel a physical lump in your throat but keep saying, “I’m fine.” Doing this is not healthy for you at all.

Opening my throat chakra hasn’t just helped me speak more clearly. It’s helped me see myself more clearly. It’s helped me stop running from my own voice, stop shrinking it, and stop dressing it in apologies. Now, I do energy work. I speak affirmations. I drink warm teas. I breathe deeply before responding. I move energy when I feel blockages in that space, by humming, singing or chanting. I journal like my peace depends on it. Because it does.

Try This: The Inner Honesty Filter Exercise

Grab a notebook, a cup of something warm, and open yourself to the possibilities of growing and releasing in this space: Write this down and answer it without judgment.

What is something I’m feeling that I haven’t admitted out loud?
Why am I hesitating to say it?
Is it fear, wisdom, or old programming holding me back?
What truth wants to be spoken right now?
How can I express this truth in a way that aligns with who I really am?

Then say this aloud (softly or boldly, it's up to you): “I give myself permission to be honest without punishment. I can handle my truth with grace.”

A Lighthearted Look at Inner Honesty (With a Side of Soul Work)

Let’s have a little fun while telling the truth, shall we? If you’ve ever been in the shower having a full-blown courtroom debate with your conditioner bottle acting as the jury, there’s a good chance you’ve got some unspoken truth that’s been bubbling beneath the surface. If your entire body shifts every time a certain person walks into the room or you find yourself rewriting a text twelve times just to avoid saying what you really feel, it might be time for a Filter Check & Flow.

Here’s the thing: inner honesty isn’t just about what we say, it’s about what we suppress, soften, sidestep, and swallow. And if you’re constantly editing yourself out of fear, conflict avoidance, or overthinking, it’s worth asking:“What lens am I looking through? What filter am I speaking through?” Because the truth is, how we see affects how we speak. (now that' a whole word, I love this!)

The goal isn’t to dump unprocessed emotion on others. The goal is to process from a healed and mature place so that when you do speak, it’s not from your pain, it’s from your power. When we don’t address what’s unresolved within us, it shows up in how we communicate. In what we avoid. In how we shrink or inflate. In the silence that feels heavy, and in the words that feel stuck in our throat.

So here's your gentle nudge:

Check your filters.
Adjust your lenses.
Be kind enough to yourself to tell the truth... and strong enough to face what that truth reveals.

Inner honesty is sacred. It’s what clears the blockages, softens the armor, and gives your soul space to breathe and be. And yes, you might hear terms like “throat chakra” and feel a little resistance rising, especially if you’ve been conditioned to see certain language as off-limits.

But don’t let a word keep you from a revelation. (ayyy come on Yahminah, speak life!) See, I told you that I talk to myself! lol

This isn’t about getting spooky, strange, or straying from your faith. This is about learning the divine mechanics of your own inner world. Call it what you want, throat chakra, suppressed truth, blocked expression, the outcome is the same: healing, growth, and freedom. When you do the deep work within, you don't just express yourself more clearly, you live more authentically, more freely, and more spiritually aligned with who God created you to be. (Now get still and let that sit with you for a moment.)

Thoughts and Reflections:

Inner honesty is not about digging up pain for the sake of it. It’s about clearing space for peace.

And when you do it with grace, without judgment, you don’t just learn who you are, you honor who you are. You give your soul room to stretch. You allow your voice to sing, even if it’s still cracking.

And trust me, when your soul feels safe enough to be honest with you, everything else in your life aligns accordingly.

Take time, get honest., be kind, because your peace is worth that much.

With aligned truth, a centered heart, and Joy anchored in Peace

Yahminah

See my gift from me to you below!

The Gift

Inner Honesty Affirmations:

Truth Without Judgment

A Sacred Set by Yahminah McIntosh

Speak them aloud. Whisper them in stillness. Write them in your journal. Let them live in your breath.

I am safe to be honest with myself. Honesty begins in sacred safety, and I create that space within me.
My truth is not too much. It is just enough to set me free. I release the fear of being too honest, too raw, or too real.
I do not shame my thoughts, I listen, learn, and lead myself with love. Even uncomfortable truth can be a teacher, not a threat.
I am allowed to feel deeply and still respond wisely. Emotional maturity and spiritual growth can coexist.
My voice matters, even if it trembles. I honor what rises within me. I do not silence my soul.
I can hold space for my truth without weaponizing it. Truth expressed with compassion creates healing.
Every time I choose honesty, I return to alignment. My truth leads me back to center, again and again.
I am growing beyond fear, beyond filters, into full authenticity. My inner world is maturing. My outer world is shifting in response.
I trust The Divine to guide my honesty and my healing. I do not walk this journey alone, God is with me.
Peace is the fruit of my truth, spoken in love. I choose peace, not performance. Wholeness, not hiding.

You're welcome!

An offering from me to you! -YMC