It is human nature to wear the mask (or masks) that we think portray us in the best light.
Don’t think you wear masks? I call bullshit – we all do it.
Think about the “version” of you that you might present to your boyfriend or girlfriend’s parents the first time you meet them.
Got a big meeting with a potential investor, banker, or new client? If you’re like most people, you present to them what you think they want to see.
Have a social media account? I dare you tell you me the pictures of yourself that you post aren’t your favorites from a cluster of images.
Whether or not we do this is not the question.
The trick, the trick my friends is to realize that we all do this, and then to learn to see beyond the masks that we (and others) wear in order to see the truth.
Not every mask is sinister. Some masks helped us get through tough periods of our lives, but no longer serve us. Some masks are being worn without our knowledge.
I’ll teach my eyes to see beyond these walls in front of me.
As we begin to cultivate our ability to identify these masks, ask yourself:
- What masks are we wearing – and WHY?
- What masks are others wearing – and WHY?
- What qualities do we need validated?
- What are we hiding or literally masking?
- Why can’t we be authentic in this situation?
As we begin to examine ourselves (and others), think in opposites:
A hyper masculine and overly confident man is almost assuredly insecure and seeking validation. The individual who presents an impenetrable, fearless character, has most likely been deeply wounded and is attempting to prevent this from happening again.
Here are more questions on which you can meditate:
- How secure are you in your center/construct of who you are?
- How resilient/anti-fragile is your self-image?
- How would you characterize your self-image/self-love?
- Is your self-love functional or dysfunctional?
- What mask do you wear?
- What qualities do you need validated?
Look at the people in your life:
- What masks do they wear?
- What qualities do they need validated by you &/or others?
- Are they manipulating you or others to complete or buy into their own self-image?
More questions than answer today, but that’s OK. Interrogating our unconscious minds unlocks unlimited developmental potential, if we have the courage explore those edges honestly.
PRESS PLAY to tune in for this crucial conversation.
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