"Truth is seldom pleasant; it is almost invariably bitter." ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
While it is empowering and ennobling to striving for truth, it's important to remember that truth is also bitter. Truth requires attention, it requires commitment, it requires change. These aren't always things we want to give in our pursuit of a mission driven life, but they are essential.

Where do we begin, then? What is the truth? And where is it to be found? 

In 1945 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a loyal communist officer in the Russian army. When he made derogatory comments about Stalin in a private letter, he was immediately arrested and sentenced to 8 years hard labor in a labor camp. Over time, as he came to see the countless lies he had been told, he became determined to understand the truth and share it with the world. 

His life is a legacy of sacrifice and suffering in his relentless pursuit to expose the truth about communism. That's why, if someone can tell us about the incredibly destructive power of lies and the amazingly liberating power of the truth, Solzhenitsyn can.  

As you dive deeper into the 7 Laws of Life Mission and seek to prepare for and discover your own life mission, Solzhenitsyn has invaluable things to teach you about the empowering but also the bitter nature of truth. 

Join Audrey this week as she shares Alexandr Solzhenitsyn's life and legacy, increasing our courage and conviction to follow in his footsteps and cling to truth no matter the cost. 

Listener's Guide:
Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast. 

2:26      Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - Childhood
4:02     War & Imprisonment
6:55      Exile & Writing
7:29      Reconversion, Cancer and Fame
8:57      Underground
9:41      Assassination Attempt & Exile Again
12:15    Back in Russia
13:19    Harvard and "A World Split Apart"
16:18    Truth Tells Us We Need to Change
22:00   Why I Wouldn't Recommend You
26:35    Truth, Governments, and Humility
30:09    Principle-Centered Homes

Quotes from this episode:
John 8:32 - “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~The Holy Bible, King James Version
“A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy and nothing can stop him.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
“Everything you add to the truth subtracts from the truth.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
“It's a universal law-- intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly profound education breeds humility.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“You can resolve to live your life with integrity. Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“Do not pursue what is illusory - property and position: all that is gained at the expense of your nerves decade after decade and can be confiscated in one fell night. Live with a steady superiority over life - don't be afraid of misfortune, and do not yearn after happiness; it is, after all, all the same: the bitter doesn't last forever, and the sweet never fills the cup to overflowing.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“My wish for you... is that your skeptic-eclectic brain be flooded with the light of truth.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“To stand up for truth is nothing. For truth, you must sit in jail.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“The meaning of earthly existence lies not, as we have grown used to thinking, in prospering but in the development of the soul.” ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“Harvard's motto is "Veritas." Many of you have already found out and others will find out in the course of their lives that truth eludes us if we do...