Uncover Your True Face...Underneath the Mask
FROM Daily Om
Many of us know the feeling of being stuck in a particular role within our families, as if we are wearing masks whenever we see the people we love. Maybe we are the good daughters, expected to always please others, or perhaps we are the family clowns, expected to be jovial and make everyone laugh. This same scenario can play out within a work situation or a group of friends. We may be so good at our role that we hardly even notice that we are wearing a mask, and yet, deep down, we know that we are not free to simply be who we really are. This can leave us feeling unseen and uneasy.
There is nothing inherently wrong with wearing a mask or playing a role. It is a natural part of any social dynamic and it can even be creative and fun. It only becomes a problem when you feel that you have no other choice than to wear that mask, and this is especially challenging if you realize you are never without one. Perhaps you have forgotten who you really are—a vast and unrestricted being of light—and have identified yourself completely with a role. You may be the dutiful, caring son who keeps his parents’ dysfunctional marriage intact. You may be the angelic wife who enables your husband to continue on a destructive path. You may be the cheerful daughter to a deeply depressed mother. Whatever the case, knowing the motivation behind your performance—the function of your mask—can help to uncover your true face.
Anytime we find ourselves stuck behind a mask, it is an indication that we are entangled in a dysfunctional dynamic in which our true self cannot be seen. We have been placed in this situation for the purpose of our own healing and, in some cases, the healing of others. From this perspective, life can be seen as a series of situations that call us to remove our masks—gently, and with great compassion for all concerned—to reveal the beauty underneath.

Most interesting to me are the masks we wear in our everyday lives in our attempt to hide who we really are from others or in our effort to conform. One can become so skilled in hiding behind these masks that one begins to wonder if there is any identifiable substance within - do we even know ourselves and is there anyone inside. Is the price of conformity worth losing an interesting and beautiful individual?
The mask is the public face; the pain we suffer silently in private.
To become genuine and to lift the burden we carry when we have parts of ourselves that we cannot accept, requires advanced personal development.
It is not for the lighthearted, and yet, it is precisely what we all seek: To be free from the bondages of pain, guilt, fear and shame. We want so dearly to accept ourselves and be at peace, to reclaim our power and be comfortable with ourselves. The only way to achieve that is to dive into ourselves and that requires coaching and guidance.
You are your own worst enemy when you don’t honor yourself –

* When you allow fear or guilt to motivate you rather that operating out of choice
* When you do not speak up for yourself due to fear of not being liked, or because you don’t believe you have the right to your own voice
* When you cannot accept your own value, the value of your work, or your accomplishments – you believe no matter what you do you are not enough

Freeing yourself from these tethers –

* Needing to impress others in order to compensate for feelings of self-doubt,
* Living behind a mask of pretense and self-deception in order to gain acceptance from others, and
* Fearing consequences and rejection if you are your real self

– is not an easy path to travel, but it is the most worthwhile journey you can take yourself on in this lifetime.
at: nurturingyoursuccessblog.com/.../