“The journey is the destination.” – Dan Eldon

I’ve always considered myself a truth seeker. This desire to find what’s real has shaped many aspects of my life, including my decision to leave behind the religion I followed for over 40 years. Ironically, it was that very religion that sparked my journey toward truth. While my beliefs have changed, the search for truth itself has remained constant. Along the way, I’ve learned that discovering truth—whether in matters of faith or the world around us—requires some key ingredients: critical thinking, research from diverse sources, staying positive, and weighing all the facts before making a decision. But there are also other important qualities, like curiosity, humility, and skepticism, that help guide this ongoing journey.

Curiosity is one of the most important tools I’ve embraced in my search for truth. It’s not just about looking for answers to questions I already have; it’s about constantly asking new questions and being open to discovering things I didn’t even know I didn’t know. Curiosity pushes me to dig deeper, to explore different perspectives, and to remain open to ideas I may not have considered before. It’s the fuel that keeps the journey going and prevents me from settling for surface-level answers.

Humility has also played a big role in my search for truth. I’ve learned that no matter how much I think I know, there’s always more to learn. This humility allows me to admit when I’m wrong or when I don’t have all the answers. It also helps me stay open to new information, even when it challenges my existing beliefs. Without humility, it’s easy to become rigid and close-minded, but truth-seeking requires the opposite—it requires the ability to evolve as new facts or insights come to light.

Alongside humility, a healthy dose of skepticism has been invaluable. Skepticism isn’t about rejecting everything outright, but about approaching claims with a critical eye. It’s about not just accepting things at face value but asking, “How do we know this is true?” I’ve found that skepticism keeps me from being easily swayed by misinformation or emotional manipulation. It encourages me to dig deeper and verify things before I form an opinion or make a decision. In today’s world, where information is often distorted or oversimplified, skepticism helps me sift through the noise and focus on what really matters.

For me, critical thinking is at the core of this process. It’s about questioning and analyzing the information I encounter, not just accepting it because it aligns with what I want to believe. This ability to think critically helps me separate facts from feelings and evaluate information objectively. Along with that, research is crucial. In a world flooded with information, I’ve learned the importance of looking at different sources to gain a more complete picture. Truth is rarely one-sided, so the more I expose myself to diverse perspectives, the clearer the truth becomes.

Positive thinking also plays a big role in this journey. It can be easy to get discouraged when things don’t make sense or when the answers you find challenge long-held beliefs. But staying positive helps me stay focused and open-minded. It’s about being willing to learn, grow, and move forward—even when it’s tough.

Weighing all the facts is something I’ve had to learn to do carefully. I’ve found that making any decision—whether it’s about religion, politics, or something else—requires looking at everything, sorting through the facts, and deciding what makes the most sense. The world is full of information that can be skewed or manipulated, so it’s important to be thorough and thoughtful before coming to a conclusion.

At the end of the day, seeking the truth—whether it’s about your faith, your life, or the world around you—is an ongoing journey. It requires curiosity, critical thinking, doing your research, staying positive, and being patient as you sift through all the information. And if we can approach this search with humility, skepticism, and an open mind, we’ll be better equipped to separate fact from fiction and make decisions based on what’s really true, not just what we’ve been told or what we want to hear.