Dear friends,
I thought it might be helpful to produce a morning reflection where we would think about the masks we wear as we go about our day.
The idea is that we would try to find the courage to let our true selves be seen a little more frequently.
But before we move on to that subject,
Let's take a minute to come to ourselves.
You know how it is.
We can be in one place,
But our minds can be miles away.
So allow yourself to relax and just be as we take a pause for 60 seconds.
Welcome back.
In our daily lives,
We often wear masks so as to fit in.
We do this to please other people and to protect ourselves from vulnerability.
This is not all bad.
These masks help us to navigate social situations.
We don't go about our days with our hearts in full view.
But wearing these masks as a matter of course can create barriers to genuine connection and self-acceptance.
So in this meditation,
We are going to explore the idea of dropping some of these protective coverings.
Many of our masks have to do with our roles in life.
Just think of the image we project by using what you might call masks of authority and competence.
The strong one mask,
Where we project an image of strength and resilience.
This can lead us to a situation where we suppress our vulnerability.
The intellectual mask is brought out when we try to demonstrate wisdom,
Intelligence,
Competence,
Even though on the inside,
We might be having feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty.
Of course,
We all bring out different masks to help us navigate the situations we meet in everyday life.
The people pleaser mask,
Not inherently bad.
It's good to consider other people's feelings and needs.
But by using this one as a matter of course,
We can over-prioritise the needs of other people at the expense of our own feelings.
We find ourselves agreeing to tasks,
And we get ourselves involved in projects and plans simply to avoid disappointing someone else.
We forget how to say no.
And when we do say no,
We still worry about having caused upset.
Then there's the perfectionist mask.
This can cause us a lot of needless worry and stress.
We set ourselves the impossible task of operating to perfection,
Whereas in everyday life,
All that is called for is our reasonable best.
The happy face mask is another one of our devices.
When we put on the happy face mask,
We hide any negative emotions behind a facade of constant cheerfulness.
We smile and we act as if everything is fine,
Even though we might be feeling sad or anxious inside.
There can be immense pressure to always be the funny one.
And this exercise of being happy and this expectation can lead to exhaustion and anxiety,
Because we feel we must maintain this facade of happiness at all costs.
Let's pause now for one minute,
For just 60 seconds,
To reflect on some of the masks we habitually wear.
Welcome back.
Now there's no need to remind you of the standard response if you ask someone how they're getting on in work.
Busy,
Busy,
Busy.
I haven't a minute to spare.
This busy,
Busy mask projects an image,
A sense of busyness and productivity,
To try to demonstrate our usefulness.
But we need to remember that we have an inherent worth just by reason of our very existence in this world.
We matter because we are.
Our worth doesn't depend upon our productivity.
If we find ourselves constantly wearing this mask,
We have to ask ourselves,
From what are we running away?
These are just a sample of the many masks that tend to hide our true selves,
Even from ourselves.
Recognising these disguises can be the first step toward embracing a life of greater authenticity.
Now masks can be protective and useful.
They help us navigate the world and they allow us to feel comfortable in the roles that we all play.
But these masks can also imprison us,
So we need to be aware of them.
They can slot us into pigeonholes,
Leading us to isolation and disconnection.
Because when we constantly present a version of ourselves that we think others will like and accept,
We might even lose sight of who we really are.
Here are some quotes that might help us to gain perspective in this area.
The first is from Carl Jung.
The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.
And from Ralph Waldo Emerson we have this.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
The message for today is that vulnerability is not a weakness.
When and if we allow ourselves to be seen without our masks,
We create a space for real connection and we encourage other people to be and to show their true selves.
So for today,
Let's take a chance,
Especially when dealing with someone we know reasonably well.
Let's strive for a real moment of authenticity.
May we have the courage to accept our true selves,
To shake off some of these life-deadening layers of expectation.
Today,
Let's reveal a little more of our true selves and inspire other people to do the same.
It's only natural to have fears about showing our true selves.
Our true self is not something that we will reveal to everyone and anyone.
But living behind a mask all the time is a barrier to true connection.
There are some affirmations that we can use to help us have the confidence to be our true selves.
I am enough as I am.
I honour my true self.
I release the need for approval from other people.
These are not just nice-sounding words.
These affirmations reflect the truth about us.
Why?
Because if you stop to think of even three things about yourself that you appreciate,
It will allow you to feel a sense of gratitude for the person you are.
You matter because you are.
You matter because you are.
Every step we manage to take towards a life of authenticity will contribute to a more compassionate world.
May all of us find happiness by rediscovering and being our true selves.
Namaste.
