We all at times hide behind a mask. Most of us are often completely unaware of it. But living life from behind a mask is costly.
Typically, we started creating our masks when we were young. We created them based on what we believed people wanted from us. They were created to project an image we believed other people wanted to see.
Different Kinds of Masks
There is an impressive variety of masks people can create and hide behind. For example:
- Smart
- Funny
- Invisible
- Helper
- Competent
- Responsible
- Self deprecating
- Accepting
- Independent
- Smart aleck
- Self-sacrificing
- Strong
For me, my mask of choice has been “competent.” I have spent a lot of time and energy projecting an image of being competent for fear people would not accept me otherwise.
It Takes Trust to Remove the Mask
In order to start letting go of the mask, it’s essential to trust that who we are is who we should be. We must trust that people will like us as we really are. The best way to achieve this trust is by testing it out. When we let people see us without our mask and they like us, we can have more confidence that we don’t need the mask anymore.
It has been a powerful experience for me to share my heart from the stage. The feedback I got has encouraged me to ditch the mask. Comments like, “It’s so easy to relate to you” and “I just feel like I can trust you” have really helped.
Ditching the Mask Honors Our Creator
Can you imagine creating a beautiful piece of art? Then, someone comes along and slaps a veneer over it, hiding the original beauty and replacing it with something different. How would that feel? Wouldn’t it totally devalue the beautiful work of art you had created?
I think it’s like that for God. He intentionally created each of us as a unique and beautiful piece of art. Then we went and hid ourselves behind a mask instead of showing off the beauty God created.
Living without the Mask Boosts Effectiveness
People can sense when we are being real. And people like connecting with real people. One benefit of doing without the mask is that we don’t have to worry when the real us peeks through.
For me, learning to do without my mask of competence is a relief. Suddenly, it’s okay to not be perfect, to not always need to have the right answer. It takes away a lot of pressure. I wish I could say I have abandoned it altogether. Instead, it is a work in progress. Like anyone else, it’s not easy to change something I’ve done for so much of my life.
I encourage you this week to try to leave your mask at home. See for yourself that it’s easier to connect with people. And judge for yourself that it’s easier to have the kind of impact you want your life to have.
