Taking off the Mask

I had one of those beautiful epiphanies during a meditation session that changed my life. I was just sitting there minding my own business when it hit me clear across the head. I think I audibly gasped, I was so taken aback. The realization was so simple, so profound, and the solution so unavoidable, I couldn’t believe I had been walking around without consciously observing it for so long.

I heard a voice, that was equal parts my voice and not my voice, say very clearly, “the fear is just a mask”. Then all at once, I caught a glimpse of myself, hunched over, avoiding eye contact, quickly moving through the world so as to not be seen. I saw this behavior so clearly for what it was, a mask. In other words, it wasn’t me, it wasn’t real, I was identifying with a personality trait that wasn’t true. The simplicity of the solution brought tears to my eyes. I could just take off the mask.

How often do we cling to pieces of ourselves that are outdated, or downright false? What do we need to do to take off these costumes? Whatever the answer is for you, whether yoga, dance, meditation, or walking in nature, you must make it a priority to do that thing every day. The whispers of true wisdom are not bestowed, we cultivate them in our devotion to something bigger than ourselves. In our commitment to practice that duty every day. It is like a relationship, we have to show up and do the work in order to know the person sitting across from us. In this case, that person is our truest self.