It’s not hard to remember the first time I put on a mask. It was 1965 and I was Cinderella. At least the world thought I was Cinderella, actually I was all sweaty and uncomfortable underneath it all, but BOY I looked great!
As Halloween draws near, children – and some adults – search far and wide for the perfect costume. Halloween is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. Nowadays, it is a way to get free candy.
I remember watching ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!’ as a child. Lucy says we each should choose a costume that’s in direct opposition to our true self. She chose to be a witch – joke was on her. So there is some truth in the masks we wear – not the Halloween variety, the social variety.
Why do we hide our authentic selves? What is it about our true selves that we find so hard to share with others. Does it harken back to the playground when all we wanted was for people to like us? I think that’s a big part of it.
When we do this, when we hide, we can’t possibly be truly authentic because we are molding ourselves to be the “person” that others will love, accept, and approve of. Not our true self. This is unhealthy and it’s also deceptive.
It is only when we value our true selves that we find our true self, our true beauty and our true power. You are enough just as you are.
So the next time someone asks you how you are feeling, tell them the truth. The next time you are in a social situation and you find yourself disagreeing – speak up! Don’t bow to the moment – stand up for your authentic self. You may not win any friends, but you will develop a lot of self esteem and a sense of truth.
So go ahead and choose a mask for Halloween…but when the night comes to a close, take it off and leave it off.
And always remember…there are no ghosts to fool, and the true you is BOO-tiful.
challengeschanges 