Own Who You Are

Originally posted on Jan 20, 2020 on medium.com/@shamandao

You are a magnificent being

Photo by Dakota Corbin on Unsplash

You unzipped the mask you wore for everyone else and placed it on the coffee table in front of us. You looked into my eyes, soul to soul. I didn’t blush and look away this time. My eyes stared back into you.

“I don’t normally tell people this, and you could probably judge me based upon what I am going to tell you. But if you judge me based upon who and what I’ve done, then that’s it right?” you said. I nodded in agreeance.

My hands wrapped around heavy tea mug as you held onto your scotch. You poured out your insides onto the table that held your mask. You let it all out as I quietly sipped my green tea.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people did this more often? To let go of a facade to impress everyone around them instead of putting on a mask everyday? I thought to myself as I listened and allowed you to be who you are.

But not everyone will allow you to be you. Drink after drink, word after word, the courage inside of you rose up and out as the scotch filled up your tummy. I was impressed with how easily it all came out. Alcohol would do that to anyone, wouldn’t it?

Your words began to slur as the evening progressed, your insides now a drunken mess of emotions and wants and wishes. You desired intimacy, but would not let your guard down with anyone. Somehow you felt safe with me to begin the evening by taking off your mask. You let me inside of your world.

It was time for me to go as your drunken words became sleepy. For someone always in control for everyone else, tonight, you lost control.

Were you ever in control? I asked myself about you. How many of us really are in control? Even in your drunken stupor, you managed to find your mask on the table, put it back on and sloppily zip it up over your face.

It’s easier to pretend we don’t care, when deep down inside, we do.

The mask we wear for so many others disguises our real selves. It’s scary to take it off and show our true, authentic selves to the world for fear of rejection. But my dear, my darling, rejecting ourselves hurts more than allowing someone else to dictate how we should feel about ourselves.

It’s exhausting and tiring to always put on a show for others. If you only play for applause, then you place your happiness in the hands of the audience.

Somewhere along the way of this experience we call life, maybe you’ve given away your power. Maybe you’ve given away your control but it’s never too late to take it back. It’s never too late to unzip the mask and own who you are. Own your weaknesses but also nurture your strengths. There are seven and a half billion people on this planet. Can you imagine if we were all the same? Life would be a whole lotta grey versus a canvas of color.

When it comes to coloring inside the lines, some people will color outside of it, some will color two inches in and you know what? It doesn’t matter because we were all taught a different way to color. Some will have only five colors to work with and others will have hundreds to work with. Some will only look at the five colors and see five colors, while another person will see the five colors and make them into ten color combinations. It’s all perspective.

No matter where you stand in the spectrum of colors, make your painting, a magnificent one. Paint your canvas with who you truly are because there will always, always be someone who appreciates you, for you.

Blessed be.