Masks Keep Us Safe

Who of us 18 months ago owned a mask? Who had any reasonable suspicion that masks would now be in every purse, vehicle, or sitting near the front door with our everyday items like keys or wallets? I know I didn't and I know that it has taken about a full year for my family to get used to just grabbing one more automatically as we venture out into the world. Who would have ever thought, even for a moment, that masks would be mandated? The reasoning being that they keep us safe. Masks protect us from germs and things in the air that we don't want to absorb into our being. They also protect others from things within our being that may not be good for them. 

Interestingly we have our physical masks that have become the norm that we cart around to protect ourselves and others, and we also have the invisible, theoretical masks that we all wear. There is a bit of a contrast in that my physical mask I sometimes forget or have to go back for, while this protective mask that I use to cover myself, I often put on without even realizing. 

These masks protect us from something different. From rejection, embarrassment, judgement. If I don't allow others the privilege of seeing the real me, they can't reject the real me. If I keep myself hidden behind my outer layers, my titles, my strengths (without my weaknesses), my clothes, my muscles or make up or whatever else I use to make sure the real me doesn't leak through, then the risk decreases substantially. So does the opportunity.

What comes to mind when you think about your own masks that you wear without realizing it? What risk is involved in allowing yourself to be and others to experience, the real, raw, genuine, YOU? Is it uncomfortable to think about? What might look different if you tried it?

One piece I find so fascinating is that we so long and desire to be loved and accepted by others and yet can so often and so naturally deprive others of the opportunity to love and accept us the way we are. We feel such pressure to conform, to fit into a box, to be what others want or need or expect.

Let me encourage you today that you were created to be YOU and only YOU! It is impossible to consistently meet the expectations of others. We were created so diversely that we have such different thoughts, views, beliefs, values, and emotions, that we will never all be on the same page. 

So be you today. 

Also, allow others to be who they were made to be, different from you. We can't expect to have everyone feel the way we do on every topic or issue, but we can choose to relate to others, to have open minds and understanding, to love and encourage others, regardless of our differences. 

Who do you want to be today? What masks will you choose to wear or be aware of, and which will you choose to leave behind, allowing your true self to shine through? What steps can you take to still protect yourself, or strengthen your sense of self, since there will always be someone who won't approve?

Be who you were made to be today. You are unique, exquisite, full of purpose and talents that are yours alone. Embrace them! Allow others to manage their own journey, their own masks, their own fear. Your only responsibility lies within you.

Be a blessing. Be blessed.

Thanks for reading!