Taking off the Mask

Listening to Martha Beck’s book, The Way of Integrity, this week, I’ve been reflecting on the divided self. So much of our life struggles come from the incongruency of who we really are and what we project to the world. We each grapple with the tension between authenticity and cultural expectations. When these clash, we learn to wear masks. From an early age, we often choose to sacrifice who we really are so that we can be what we think everyone else wants us to be. Gone unchecked over the years of our lives, we may find ourselves looking in the mirror and wondering who we really are.

This duplicity can create much of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health issues. Many authors, including Beck, share their journeys and suggest pathways to reveal and heal our divided self. One of the things that keeps emerging in my life is that our bodies and the universe actually are talking to us. In multiple ways, they are showing us paths to restoration and reconciliation, if we can find ways to truly listen despite our fear, defensiveness, and stubbornness. It begins with opening up to the possibility that we don’t know it all and that we may need to reevaluate much of what we believe to be true. In this openness, we create space for genuine reflection and recognition of who we really. When we can see what is authentic versus what is a mask, we give ourselves the opportunity to move toward wholeness and integrity.

Brené Brown speaks about the difference between “knowing and being right” versus “learning and getting it right”. No matter our age or experience, everything we know up to this point is at best incomplete and at its worst, destructive. Let’s let go of having to have all the answers. By listening and asking deeper questions, we open the door to greater self-awareness. Only then can we do the work that leads to a congruent and meaningful life.