True vs. Truth - Clarity in Shifting Times (Volume 1, Issue 6)

The Aspire Team
Sep 7
5 min read

As fall approaches and routines begin to shift, healthcare professionals continue navigating an ever-changing landscape—balancing patient care, professional integrity, and personal well-being. This season of transition often mirrors the challenges in healthcare itself, where changing policies, funding uncertainties, and evolving public health recommendations can leave even the most experienced professionals feeling unsettled. Recent leadership changes at the highest levels of health policy, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services, have added to this complexity as statements and decisions sometimes conflict with decades of evidence-based practice. With so much change, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by conflicting narratives and external pressures.

But how do we distinguish between what is true and what is truth? How can we ground ourselves in facts while honoring our deeper understanding and values?

The Difference Between "True" and "Truth"

When we talk about what is true, we are talking about how things feel or seem to someone based on their perspective, experiences, or emotions. Something can feel completely true to one person and not at all to another because it depends on their point of view.

Truth, on the other hand, is the deeper reality — what is actually happening when you strip away opinions, assumptions, and emotions. It is not always easy to see right away, especially when information changes quickly or emotions run high, but it is what holds steady when the noise settles.

Think of it this way:

True = My perspective, my interpretation of events, what seems real to me right now.
Truth = The bigger picture, the facts plus context, what remains real even when opinions differ.

Example: Patient Perspective

A patient may believe it is true that “the flu shot gave me the flu.” Their perspective is shaped by their lived experience of feeling unwell after vaccination and reinforced by stories they have heard.

The truth is that the flu vaccine cannot cause influenza. Side effects such as soreness or mild fever are signs of the immune system responding, not the illness itself.

As professionals, we honor the patient’s perspective (“true”) while guiding them back toward the evidence-based reality (“truth”).

Example: Professional Perspective

A department experiences staffing cuts, and many team members believe it is true that leadership “does not value frontline staff.” The emotional response is real — it is shaped by fatigue, stress, and a sense of being unheard.

The truth, however, may be that financial restructuring across the entire system led to unavoidable changes. Leadership may deeply value the staff but have limited options in the current environment.

Recognizing the difference allows professionals to address emotions honestly while engaging with the bigger picture — and seeking solutions rather than fueling division.

A key part of awareness is recognizing “what is”—the distinction between events as they are and how our minds interpret them. Often, we react based on past experiences and assumptions rather than engaging with situations as they unfold. Understanding this difference creates space to consider other possibilities and respond with clarity.

Making the Connection: True, Truth, and Values

In healthcare, true often reflects personal perspective — how a situation feels or appears in the moment. Truth, by contrast, rests on facts, research, and evidence-based medicine. Yet even “truth” can shift over time. New research can lead to updated guidelines. Medications once considered safe may later be removed from the market when evidence reveals increased risks for patients. Science continually reshapes what we know about disease prevention, diagnosis, and care.

When information feels uncertain or evolving, our values carry us through. They become the steady foundation beneath changing headlines and shifting science, helping us act with integrity and compassion while doing the best we can with what we know today.

Current Challenges in Healthcare: What You Should Know

Several pressing issues are shaping today’s climate:

Public Health Messaging & Policy Debates – With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. now leading the Department of Health and Human Services, healthcare professionals face the challenge of navigating policy shifts and public statements that sometimes conflict with evidence-based medicine. Recent halts in funding for mRNA research and other projects have added to the sense of uncertainty across the field.
Cuts to Drug & Disease Research – Funding reductions may slow treatment development and innovation.
Pharmaceutical Costs & Import Tariffs – Rising drug prices, coupled with proposed tariffs, threaten affordability and access.
Strains on Healthcare Education – Reduced grants and rising student loan burdens add pressure to the next generation of healthcare professionals.

While these issues may feel overwhelming, they make it more important than ever to reconnect with your value—your role in patient care, your commitment to learning, and your dedication to ethical practice.

The Toll on Trust

This climate does not just affect patients—it affects you.

Patients struggle to interpret conflicting information.
Professionals are tasked with correcting misinformation while managing their own doubts.
Quiet questions emerge: Do my patients trust me? Do my colleagues? Do I still trust myself?

This erosion of trust weighs heavily, deepening fatigue and fueling burnout.

Lessons from Fall: Grounding in What Matters

Fall offers a helpful metaphor: trees shed their leaves to conserve energy for what sustains them. In the same way, healthcare professionals can release distractions, fear-driven reactions, and constant media noise to focus on what endures.

Your grounding is found in:

Your values
Your ethics
Your enduring mission to heal

Compass Points: Practices to Steady Yourself

Pause & Discern – Before reacting, ask: What is the current information you have? What aligns with my values?
Rebuild Trust Patient by Patient – Compassionate clarity in each encounter restores confidence at the human level.
Curate Your Inputs – Seek credible professional sources; limit exposure to sensationalized media.
Lean into Seasonal Rhythm – Use fall’s reflective energy for renewal: walks, journaling, or time unplugged.

A Tool to Help You Reconnect with Your Values

When everything feels unsettled, values become your anchor. They clarify what matters most and guide you with integrity and confidence.

To support you, Aspire has created a Values Assessment Tool — a practical worksheet to help you identify and rank your core values, reflect on how well you are living them, and choose small steps to strengthen alignment.

By taking just a few minutes with the tool, you can:

Clarify what matters most right now.
Recognize where your actions align—or conflict—with your values.
Identify practical steps to live more fully in your truth.

Reply to this email to receive your complimentary copy of the Values Assessment Tool.

Closing Thoughts

Fall reminds us that change is inevitable, but so is renewal. Letting go is not loss—it creates space for clarity and strength.

Even when healthcare feels unsettled, you can stand firm in your truth, grounded in your values and calling. This season, choose one way to ground yourself—in truth, in values, or in the small rituals that remind you why your work matters.

At Aspire Healthcare Professional Coaching, we believe your well-being is not a luxury—it is essential. Thank you for the skill, compassion, and dedication you bring to your patients, colleagues, and communities.

Stay Connected: Sign Up for Future Issues

Want to keep receiving insights and practical tools to support your growth and resilience? Sign up for future editions of the Well-Being Compass and stay connected with a network of professionals committed to thriving—year-round.

Know a colleague who needs this reminder? Forward this to a friend or team member—you may brighten their summer too.

With Gratitude,

The Aspire Healthcare Professional Coaching Team

Created by Aspire Healthcare Professional Coaching with input from AI tools

But how do we distinguish between what is true and what is truth? How can we ground ourselves in facts while honoring our deeper understanding and values?

The Difference Between "True" and "Truth"

When we talk about what is true, we are talking about how things feel or seem to someone based on their perspective, experiences, or emotions. Something can feel completely true to one person and not at all to another because it depends on their point of view.

Truth, on the other hand, is the deeper reality — what is actually happening when you strip away opinions, assumptions, and emotions. It is not always easy to see right away, especially when information changes quickly or emotions run high, but it is what holds steady when the noise settles.

Think of it this way:

True = My perspective, my interpretation of events, what seems real to me right now.

Truth = The bigger picture, the facts plus context, what remains real even when opinions differ.

Example: Patient Perspective

A patient may believe it is true that “the flu shot gave me the flu.” Their perspective is shaped by their lived experience of feeling unwell after vaccination and reinforced by stories they have heard.

The truth is that the flu vaccine cannot cause influenza. Side effects such as soreness or mild fever are signs of the immune system responding, not the illness itself.

As professionals, we honor the patient’s perspective (“true”) while guiding them back toward the evidence-based reality (“truth”).

Example: Professional Perspective

A department experiences staffing cuts, and many team members believe it is true that leadership “does not value frontline staff.” The emotional response is real — it is shaped by fatigue, stress, and a sense of being unheard.

The truth, however, may be that financial restructuring across the entire system led to unavoidable changes. Leadership may deeply value the staff but have limited options in the current environment.

Recognizing the difference allows professionals to address emotions honestly while engaging with the bigger picture — and seeking solutions rather than fueling division.

Making the Connection: True, Truth, and Values

When information feels uncertain or evolving, our values carry us through. They become the steady foundation beneath changing headlines and shifting science, helping us act with integrity and compassion while doing the best we can with what we know today.

Current Challenges in Healthcare: What You Should Know

Several pressing issues are shaping today’s climate:

Cuts to Drug & Disease Research – Funding reductions may slow treatment development and innovation.

Pharmaceutical Costs & Import Tariffs – Rising drug prices, coupled with proposed tariffs, threaten affordability and access.

Strains on Healthcare Education – Reduced grants and rising student loan burdens add pressure to the next generation of healthcare professionals.

While these issues may feel overwhelming, they make it more important than ever to reconnect with your value—your role in patient care, your commitment to learning, and your dedication to ethical practice.

The Toll on Trust

This climate does not just affect patients—it affects you.

Patients struggle to interpret conflicting information.

Professionals are tasked with correcting misinformation while managing their own doubts.

Quiet questions emerge: Do my patients trust me? Do my colleagues? Do I still trust myself?

This erosion of trust weighs heavily, deepening fatigue and fueling burnout.

Lessons from Fall: Grounding in What Matters

Fall offers a helpful metaphor: trees shed their leaves to conserve energy for what sustains them. In the same way, healthcare professionals can release distractions, fear-driven reactions, and constant media noise to focus on what endures.

Your grounding is found in:

Your values

Your ethics

Your enduring mission to heal

Compass Points: Practices to Steady Yourself

Pause & Discern – Before reacting, ask: What is the current information you have? What aligns with my values?

Rebuild Trust Patient by Patient – Compassionate clarity in each encounter restores confidence at the human level.

Curate Your Inputs – Seek credible professional sources; limit exposure to sensationalized media.

Lean into Seasonal Rhythm – Use fall’s reflective energy for renewal: walks, journaling, or time unplugged.

A Tool to Help You Reconnect with Your Values

When everything feels unsettled, values become your anchor. They clarify what matters most and guide you with integrity and confidence.

To support you, Aspire has created a Values Assessment Tool — a practical worksheet to help you identify and rank your core values, reflect on how well you are living them, and choose small steps to strengthen alignment.

By taking just a few minutes with the tool, you can:

Clarify what matters most right now.

Recognize where your actions align—or conflict—with your values.

Identify practical steps to live more fully in your truth.

***Reply to this email to receive your complimentary copy of the Values Assessment Tool.***

Closing Thoughts

Fall reminds us that change is inevitable, but so is renewal. Letting go is not loss—it creates space for clarity and strength.

Even when healthcare feels unsettled, you can stand firm in your truth, grounded in your values and calling. This season, choose one way to ground yourself—in truth, in values, or in the small rituals that remind you why your work matters.

At Aspire Healthcare Professional Coaching, we believe your well-being is not a luxury—it is essential. Thank you for the skill, compassion, and dedication you bring to your patients, colleagues, and communities.

Stay Connected: Sign Up for Future Issues

Want to keep receiving insights and practical tools to support your growth and resilience? Sign up for future editions of the Well-Being Compass and stay connected with a network of professionals committed to thriving—year-round.

Know a colleague who needs this reminder? Forward this to a friend or team member—you may brighten their summer too.

With Gratitude,

The Aspire Healthcare Professional Coaching Team

Comments

Reply to this email to receive your complimentary copy of the Values Assessment Tool.