The Mask

The Mask1

Remember the movie with Jim Carrey?  He has the most incredible face and is able to make the funniest expressions.  I am a big Jim Carrey fan. I love his off-the-wall sense of humor, but wearing a mask is something not so funny in real life.

We have all known people who wear masks.  I am not talking about literal masks.  I am talking about the posers:  the people who pretend to be one thing, and secretly are another.  The people I am referring to are those that often don’t even realize that they are wearing a mask.  They have deceived themselves.

That is pretty scary when you think about it.  We can be so deluded that we don’t even know we are wearing a mask.  How in the world can THAT happen?

Principle 1. Masks are what we put on to cover up our insecurities.  We think that if we wear the mask, nobody will see that we are fearful, insecure, vulnerable, and weak.

Principle 2. Masks are something that we need to take off.  Be willing to be real and transparent.  It is OK to admit you don’t have all the answers.  It is OK to admit you have made mistakes.  That does not make you a loser. That makes you human.

Principle 3. You will never experience true intimacy with anyone when you are wearing a mask.  There is something beautiful about just being real.  When you open up your heart to someone else and let them see who you are, that is the start of a deeper relationship.  That is the seed of authenticity that can grow and develop into something meaningful and lasting.

Are you wearing a mask?  Are you transparent?  Can you admit when you are wrong?  Can you admit you are not perfect?  Please, for the sake of everyone around you, take off your mask and just be real for once.  You just might find that others will be OK with that, and you will be a lot happier just being YOU.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

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