It is funny now that the whole world has now been forced to wear masks everywhere they go. The reason I find this funny is because most people have been wearing masks their whole lives. What do I mean by this?
Many people are not true to themselves and present a facade to themselves, to others and the world. There are many reasons behind this. One is limiting beliefs, which are usually acquired in early childhood and arise from adverse societal conditioning and marketing and advertising that tries to convince us that we are less than whole. Another is emotional blocks, which arise because we are afraid of feeling our negative emotions, especially around traumatic life events, despite the suffering they cause by being suppressed. Still another is identification with our life stories, especially when they have been difficult or traumatic, which can obscure us from our true nature.
The fact is that most of us have been wearing masks our whole lives and the physical masks, that we are now forced to wear, are a physical representation of this. Our masks obscure us from our true nature of light, pure being and unconditional love, which is how we are born into this world. It is just the influence and conditioning of the external world which makes us forget about who we truly are.
The question I want to leave you with is that, underneath your physical mask, are you wearing another mask to hide your wounds? If you are, then this could be preventing you from knowing your true nature and achieving your highest potential? If your answer is yes then the first step to shedding your mask is to realize that you have one and how it has kept you stifled and has kept you from realizing your true magnificence.
If you are able to take this step then you have made the biggest leap to self-realization, joy and serenity. The reason the world is suffering so much right now is that not enough people are willing to take this step and drop their facade and be true to themselves and to others. The choice is yours and this choice has the potential to transform your life and the lives of those who you touch. So the next time you look in the mirror, as yourself, what mask am I wearing?
Dr. Nauman Naeem