PHOTO: Portmanteau Media
Living Your
Truth, Day
by Day
BY JACKELYN GILL
WXN Media
SEPTEMBER 7, 2026
“Live your truth” sounds simple.
Until you try to do it.
Because it’s not one decision. It’s a series of them. Small moments where you choose what matters, what you believe, and how you show up, even when it’s uncomfortable.
When we asked our Top 100 winners what living their truth looks like in
practice, their answers weren’t abstract.
They were grounded. Personal. Sometimes hard-earned.
Here’s what they shared.
1. Let your values guide you
Knowing your values is one thing. Acting on them is another. Living your truth means staying rooted in what matters, even when it would be easier not to. It shapes your decisions, your boundaries, and how you move through the world.
"I could answer any question about my truth in my career and personal life with one word – values. I live by six of them, all key to me, and I couldn't live without:
Respect. Loyalty. Trustworthy. Courage. Kindness. Leadership."
- Katherine Hay, Canada’s Most Powerful CEO Award Winner
2. Follow what gives your work meaning
Purpose isn’t always something you find once; it’s something you return to. When your work connects to what you care about, it changes how you show up, even on the hard days.
"When you have passion for what you are doing, then your work doesn’t feel like work. And it keeps me excited and motivated when I wake up every morning."
- Chef Nuit Regular, Entrepreneurs Award Winner
3. Speak up, even when it’s hard
There are moments where staying quiet would be easier. Living your truth means choosing not to. It means standing up for what’s right, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
"My truth is that you must always fight for what is right. This means that you must keep pushing even if things are not going your way or seem insurmountable. Just do it!"
- Dr. Anne Innis Dagg, Women of Courage Award Winner
4. Keep stretching into what’s next
Living your truth isn’t static. It evolves. It asks you to grow, to take on new challenges, and to step beyond what feels comfortable, again and again.
"I take steps to stretch myself professionally, personally, and physically to reach my potential, and I support others to do the same."
- Beth Wilson, WXN Hall of Fame Award Winner
5. Give yourself permission to be human
Growth isn’t always polished. It’s messy, uncertain, and sometimes uncomfortable. Being kind to yourself along the way isn’t optional; it’s necessary.
"Let go. We are constantly evolving, and growth can be messy – it isn’t the glossy life we see on Instagram. Let go of others' expectations, bad bosses, mistakes, words that hurt instead of help."
- Lauren Tedesco, Emerging Leaders Award Winner
6. Help others do the same
Living your truth doesn’t happen in isolation. It often shows up in how you support others and in how you create space, build connections, and help people feel like they belong.
"I believe we are all stronger when we accept and respect each other. Building communities where everyone has a sense of belonging lifts us all up. That is my truth."
- Indira Naidoo-Harris, Community Impact Award Winner
7. Be fully yourself
There’s no version of this where you become someone else. Living your truth means embracing who you are, fully, and letting that show, even when it feels vulnerable.
"For me, living my truth entails being comfortable with what makes me, me. It is about finding those unique differences and allowing those parts to flourish and shine."
- Sharnelle Morgan, Future Leaders Award Winner
8. Choose the path that isn’t mapped out
Sometimes the clearest sign you’re on the right path is that no one has walked it before. Living your truth means trusting yourself enough to move forward anyway.
"Be fearless - not afraid to take the road less travelled. Someone's got to lead the way, and someone's got to be the first."
— Kim Keating, Executive Leaders Award Winner
9. Stay connected to where you started
Your story matters. The experiences that shaped you, the people who supported you, and the path you took to get here, they all inform how you move forward.
"Living my truth is being myself, embracing my diverse identities as a person of color, my ethnicity, religion, gender, and my lived experiences as a refugee, as a person growing up in a developing world, and as an immigrant to Canada."
— Dr. Tanjina Mirza, C-Suite Executives Award Winner
10. Keep evolving
Living your truth isn’t something you arrive at. It’s something you continue to learn, question, and grow into over time.
"I know that living my truth is a continuous process; it's my journey to grow and to learn about myself; it's my life-long journey!"
— Rokhaya Gueye, CPKC Skilled Trades Award Winner
Living your truth isn’t about having it all figured out.
It’s about choosing, again and again, to show up as yourself.