The Masquerade

“And, after all, what is a lie? 'Tis but the truth in a masquerade”
- Alexander Pope

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Children are the great pretenders!  They can have a pretend friend.  They can pretend to visit far-off places.  They can pretend to be a superstar or a superhero.  In fact, they can pretend just about anything.  Most people think that as children age they stop pretending; nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, as we age, some people get better at pretending.  It’s during adolescence years that some people will embark on what can be a lifelong masquerade.

 

A masquerader chooses to hide behind the cover of a convenient, well-crafted mask.  The mask serves to conceal one’s real self while providing others with a false impression of something they are not.   Attempting to impress someone or be accepted by them, the masquerader will strategically put on and take off their mask. 

      

Some people get so good at wearing masks; they forget who they are and deny their true existence.  Unfortunately, wearing a mask inhibits the development and maintenance of worthwhile, significant interpersonal relationships.  Developing and maintaining deep and meaningful relationships requires that both parties reveal their true selves.

Pretending in childhood is a good thing.  It promotes cognitive development and learning.   Pretending allows for self-expression, critical thinking and the use of the imagination/creativity.  It also fosters the development of social and emotional skills and contributes to enhanced language skills.   Pretending (masking) in adulthood is not such a good thing.  Adult pretending can lead to a conflicted and complicated life, a life marked by a pervasive sense of being unfulfilled.  How can one ever feel fulfilled when hiding behind a mask? 

  

God made each one of us unique.  I’m pretty sure he did that for a reason!  We look differently.  We have different talents, different skills and abilities, and different thoughts and feelings.  We honor God when we acknowledge, appreciate, and live as our true selves.  So, if you happen to wear a mask, do yourself a big favor and throw away your mask.  It’s time that you begin living the life that YOU were uniquely created and designed to live.  Stop living your life to impress someone or be accepted by them.  If they don’t like the real you, they don’t deserve the real you. 

When it comes right down to it, it is about living authentically.  Living an authentic life allows you to maximize your full potential and experience true happiness – happiness on your terms.  So be you!   In the words of Mike Robbins, “You might as well be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”

Remember, GOD loves YOU and YOU should too!
(and so do I!)

It’s your life: live it, love it & celebrate it!
MJD