Little by little be yourself.
Most of us don’t show our true selves to many people in everyday life. We likely have a professional game face at work. We put on our best happy face in social settings. We may present ourselves as someone we’re not entirely because we believe it to be effective or safe.
To a select few, we may reveal more of our actual thoughts and feelings. We may be comfortable letting them see us in sweatpants and unwashed. We may share some of our dreams and fears with them as well.
When we habitually act like someone we’re not, we can begin to lose a true sense of ourselves. We may begin to believe we are who we pretend to be.
This can sometimes have a negative effect, particularly if we’re pushing aside aspects of ourselves we don’t feel are appropriate for general sharing. They’re likely not extreme things like murder, abuse, or cannibalism, but the idea of allowing others to see them may make use feel a bit squeamish or embarrassed.
When we repress parts of ourselves, they may surface in uncomfortable or extreme ways unexpectedly. The result is generally ungood.
But what if we took down a few of our minor internal barriers? What if we let others see some small aspects of ourselves that we normally tuck away? We might admit to having a few innocuous and petty guilty pleasures and foibles. But we would relate in a more human way, one that would more fully reflect who we are.
Today’s message invites me to show more of myself to others in general. When I take down some of my facades by degrees, I’ll likely discover they aren’t really useful.
Please reflect and share. Are you willing chip away at the masks you wear for others?