Masks and why we might hide behind them...

Have you ever been with someone – a friend, a relation, a colleague – in whose presence you can relax and just be yourself?  Feels great, doesn’t it?

Why it feels so good is because of that word ‘relax’.  When we pretend to be someone we are not, when we put our guard up to protect ourselves, when we hide who we are through fear we are using a lot of emotional energy – energy that could be used better.

When we relax, all our energy gets channelled into being the best version of ourselves.

 So why do we so rarely be ourselves – why, so often, do we hide behind behaviours that are not really reflective of our authentic selves?  Usually, it is through habit – and we often don’t even recognise that we’re doing it!

We form habits when we are young – we learn to behave a certain way because it protects us, or it rewards us, or it hides us and keeps us feeling happy and/or secure.

The trouble is because these behaviours become habits, they travel with us into adulthood – a time when we may very well no longer need those behaviours to protect us, to hide us, to make people pleased with us.

So it’s time for us to look at these habits, this act, this Mask of behaviour and ask ourselves one question.

Do I still need to waste energy in demonstrating behaviours I no longer need and that are hiding the true ‘me’ from the world? 

Only you can answer that!

Written by - Pat Lee, The Living Leader Associate