Shedding Your Masks – Let It Flow
Shedding Your Masks – Let It Flow
Mask – A disguise to cover the face…
Why do people feel the need to hide themselves from the world? Before you step outside, you arm yourself with a mask automatically putting yourself into protection mode. Do you not want others to see who you really are?
Marching forward the mask thickens with many layers sugar coating the reality of all that harbors underneath. Do not look me in the eye as you may see a glimpse of the reality hidden so perfectly tucked away beneath the iron clad wall of pain.
As the years pass, countless covers overlay one another forming a thick surface that refuses to budge, hardening, tightening until you feel suffocated by the harsh reality of life. You are now lost in between the lines of disaster waiting to unfold as the grip is faltering at the seams, ready to burst.
You hold on for dear life fighting tooth and nail to keep that mask secured so tight, as your shaking soul quivers broken down, drooped head, saddened by the darkness. As the soul withers in the darkness it still tries to seek light, wanting to abandon this silent hell that it refuses to succumb too. The silent whispers calling out to you, begging to be set free only subdued for a moment, and then pounding in your ears, silent but deafening at the same time, “I need to be FREE”,
“Help me say the words out loud” – “I know you hear me”.
Take a step back for a moment and think about this scenario going on inside your mind. As you read this passage above, what do you feel?
Darkness
Sadness
Anger
Fear
Anxiety/Depression
I say all the above!
When children and young adults go through abuse, trauma, or neglect they start to collect these masks along the way. Working so hard to hide everything they are feeling inside, as they cover it all up. Some do this out of fear or shame, others will do this out of some misguided loyalty or duty, and many will do this because they do not want to be labeled different or damaged.
The common denominator is that they all have a huge fear of not being believed! For the ones that have had the courage to say the words out loud only to be shut down by the non-believers, this sends a disturbing message to the brain to remain silent at all costs. Time to build up your masks!
As we grow older the mask becomes a dysfunctional security blanket hiding the hideous unspoken truths from the world. Moving forward onto adulthood it is apparent that these battles scars overflow into every day life, and we step forward with much discomfort, anxiety and sometimes paranoia. The pains of the past are secretly controlling our every move as its insidious hold claims all that is good and turns it into a pile of rubble.
How long should we allow the past to claim our future? For some it’s a life time of silent hell, living in between two worlds at the same time. Like a coo-coo clock’s pendulum swinging back and forth to the rhythm of a dysfunctional beat.
I say it is TIME to switch it up, turn back those hands of time, and let it flow. Slowly bring those old pains to the surface one by one facing it once and for all breaking down each mask as it shatters to the floor. Piece by piece you can rectify the wrongs of the past by claiming your life back. You are in control.
The work is very hard, and some masks are much thicker than others, but with a strong mindset, courage and a whole lot of faith you can do it. Start at the beginning and make your way forward. As the masks release one by one, you will feel a sense of freedom that you have never felt before, and it is a glorious, profound moment when earth and air meets with a total cleansing like a new fallen rain with dew drops of emotions popping one by one as the sun shines through the clouded water.
If you are ready to take this journey of awakening seek out positive support and make a strong game plan. This is a process, so you cannot go from A-Z in a moment, you must take all the steps, do not skip a beat.
You will never know if you can do this for yourself if you do not start somewhere, so the best place to start is the beginning. Once you start to do the work and become stronger gear your focus on winning! The stronger you become is the prize you will gain as you walk on forward. The Abuser does not get to win at the game of life, you do!! The best revenge is living a full life despite the abuse.
The forgiveness that so many speak of comes from within. Remember you are in control now, and as the healing continues the hatred fades. Will you ever forget what happened to you? The answer is NO, but it will finally have a resting place and you will be the only one able to access it if you need to go there.
Throughout life there will always be those pings, triggers, and sadness attached to those masks, but once you have a better understanding of yourself, you will learn how to deal with them in a positive way.
It is OK to have your moments, embracing those triggers with the knowledge that it is a part of you, but not the real you. The masks are crashing to the floor so celebrate the breaking of the cycle, as you shine in the light of day, no more masks they have now faded away.
