Like a Chameleon

On Halloween, many people put on masks and become someone or something else for a little while. It can be liberating to allow oneself to have fun doing something different and exciting.

We all put on ‘masks’ to some extent every day, usually because we don’t want to risk rejection. We portray ourselves in a certain way and this persona will change depending on the role we are playing, and whom we are in contact with. Sometimes we become so entrenched in our roles, that we forget who we really are, or we feel more comfortable and secure wearing our mask. Other times, however, we get so tired of pretending, that the mask slips a little.

Are we always lying – hiding who we really are? No. We are not one dimensional; we all have various aspects to us. We may not feel comfortable sharing a particular side with someone, yet with another person it may feel very natural. I think each of our masks has some truth to it and we adapt it to make it our own. But what lies beneath the masks? Do people like us for the mask we show them, or for who we really are?

Take time this week to think about who you are, what your desires and goals are, how it would feel not to constantly shift from one role and persona to another, and how your life would change if you stayed true to your authentic self.

We all have a social mask, right? We put it on, we go out, put our best foot forward, our best image. But behind that social mask is a personal truth, what we really, really believe about who we are and what we’re capable of.

Phil McGraw