Who’s Behind the Mask?

8 Ways to Embrace Your Most Authentic Self

Artwork Generated by the author on pixlr.com

You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath it. — Alan Moore

Who are you when no one else is looking? Who is that person who shines through when you’re the most comfortable in your environment? That person is your most authentic self. It is the “you" that is trying to fight their way to the surface.

There are many reasons that people including myself have masks that we wear daily. It could be that we don’t fit societal norms which leaves us feeling out of place or we just haven’t figured out who we are yet and are learning as we go.

I struggled with finding who I was and listening to my inner voice for a long time but in the beginning, I wasn’t sure that the problem even existed. To me it was normal. Who did I want to be today? That was an everyday question. Even in my younger years. I loved fake names and fake personas and pretending with my friends.

Later in life, I learned it was because I had a problem feeling accepted for who I was. Therefore I created these “characters" to be what I felt was the ideal personality. Then I realized that it was even deeper than that. My lack of knowing who I was made me uncomfortable being me because I didn’t know myself.

I pushed away and hid so many parts of myself over the years to keep others happy that I didn’t truly know who I was. Although I experienced happiness ; I had always felt that something was missing . That something was me. I had to find myself to be whole again.

Once I journeyed back home to myself; which I’ll admit took some time because boy was I lost, life became easier and I felt a peace and happiness that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I was being my most authentic self unapologetically and the freedom that came with that is worth more than what money can buy.

Artwork created by the author on Pixlr.com

We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our skin. — André Berthiaume

8 ways to Tap into Your Authenticity

1. Rule number one is to always be honest with yourself about who you are. Whether it’s good or bad. If you’re afraid to be honest with yourself you will never be comfortable being you in front of others.
2. Stop caring about what others think of you and realize that most people don’t actually think of you at all. Release the restrictions you’ve placed on yourself because of others beliefs and preferences.
3. Embrace the quirks and little unique things about yourself . The things that make you different , make you beautiful . All of the odd and out of the ordinary are your gift to the world. They are things that are worthy of being shared with the world.
4. Journal. Please write out your thoughts and feelings. It gives them a physical form for you to analyze and decipher when you are not feeling those emotions. Those triggers and responses are your inner voice trying to be heard.
5. Practice mindfulness and being present in the moment. Allowing ourselves to behave and react on autopilot keeps us blinded to our behaviors. By being present we can pinpoint the causes and effects of our triggers and reactions and figure out why they exist and how to improve them.
6. Relive the happy parts of your childhood. A little nostalgia never hurt anyone. Take the time to remember what made your heart smile as a child. Those moments are key to who you are inside. Reigniting passions can spark a fire that can light your path to who you’ve grown to be.
7. Be okay with change and not being accepted. There will always be change. That is one thing that is guaranteed. Either you accept it and flow with it or you fight it and it beats you along the way. Not everyone is going to like and understand you and that’s okay. Even your close friends and family may not approve of your authentic self and that’s also okay. There are people out there for you, your soul tribe who will embrace you wholeheartedly.
8. Remember to just be happy. If it makes you happy, do it. If it puts a smile on your face don’t let anyone take that away. No one is so important that you should allow them to take away your joy. Your peace and your happiness are your very own right, embrace them.

I hope you’re all able to let your inner light show and be comfortable with the beauty in all that is you. You are beautiful just as you are🕊️

We spend our lives crafting masks to fit the roles we are expected to play, but in doing so, we lose sight of who we truly are. — 
Fumiko Enchi

Love and Light — the Beautiful Mystic