What would happen if you took the mask off?
We all wear masks.
Some we slip on so often we forget they’re even there. The “I’m fine” mask. The “I’ve got it all together” mask. The “nothing bothers me” mask. Each one designed to protect us, to fit in, to keep life smooth and safe.
They’re not bad — they once served a purpose— but over time, those masks start to feel heavy…and exhausting!
They keep you from being seen for who you really are.
And when you hide behind the mask, people get to know the person you present, not the one that actually lives inside.
To form true connection –with yourself and with others – you need take the mask (at least partially) off, be more okay with discomfort, get curious about what’s inside and garner the courage to reveal your lumps and bumps and imperfections to those deserving of your trust
When you start taking it off…
Start small.
Stop pretending that something doesn’t hurt. Admit you don’t have it all figured out. Tell more of the truth when someone asks, “How are you?”
Those little cracks in the mask let the light in.
People start meeting you where you really are. Conversations get deeper. Relationships feel safer and more connected.
Taking off the mask doesn’t mean spilling everything to everyone — it means being more honest, letting your outer life more closely resemble your inner life.
Why it’s hard (and so worth it!)
It can be scary to be more fully seen.
The mask I’ve been wearing for as long as I can remember is, “I’m fine. I can handle it…”
Like most of us, life has tossed me serious curveballs and devastating blows, and for the most part, my version of “handling it with grace” became slapping a smile on my face and insisting “I’m fine.”
For many of us, those masks have been part of our identity,,, for decades.
Who am I if I’m not the fixer, the pleaser, the strong one?
It’s taken my recent challenge with chronic pain to share “life is good, AND I’m struggling. Sometimes a lot”.
Now that I admit not all is good, and I’m not totally fine, the doors have opened to richer conversation and understanding… on both sides of the equation.
And funny thing, …In the process, I’ve become more fine not being fine. And daring to be more real, has given those around me permission to do the same.
Taking off the mask doesn’t make me weak.
It makes me more whole.
More free to fully present with all of who I am, more compassionate toward others, more grateful for what is good, more patient with the healing process and more intentional about who I spend my time with and where I allow my energy to go.
So today, maybe you don’t have to rip the whole thing off. Maybe just lift it a little and let someone see your eyes and hear a little more about how you truly are. That’s where the real connection begins.
Please reach out, I love to hear it goes.
