Be you

I’ve spent a lot of my days wearing a mask specially designed for the person I’m talking to. Then, in the comfort of my own home I remove the mask, exhausted from being someone else all day long. I’m often frustrated by how agreeable I am, and wish I would voice my opinions confidently.

Imagine a world where you are unapologetically you, every single day. A world where your voice doesn’t change pitches when talking to a stranger, or where you laugh only when something is actually funny. A world where you aren’t carrying any masks.

Maybe the key is to focus on your beliefs, your morals, and the places you find your joy? My beliefs are my soil, my morals are my roots, and my joys are my blossoms.

I believe in God. I believe in prayer. I believe that each person is created in God’s vision, and that I can learn something from everyone I meet. I believe that people are inherently good. My beliefs radiate. You can see them as I lend a hand to strangers, or as I stop and pray for the person in the ambulance whizzing by, and as I tell my mother all about my day, fully trusting that she is listening from heaven.

I believe in equality. I inherited my mother’s advocacy for the vulnerable and my father’s support for the underdog. I strive to listen with intent, genuinely listen to understand and remember what people tell me, especially when they share something personal.

I find joy in shopping for throw pillows. Yep, you heard me. Throw pillows bring me so much freakin’ happiness. I also love cats. Every cat I meet reminds me of my Lola girl, who has been a constant source of love and happiness in my life.

One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn is that I am not and will not be loved by everybody, no matter which mask I put on. So why bother with a mask at all? If I’m totally, truly me, won’t it make it easier for the people who do love me to find me? We’ll gravitate toward each other, like a tribe of smiley, optimistic adventurers.

Be you. Be so you that no one can differentiate between who you are at home and who you are in public. It’s a lot less exhausting, and a hell of a lot more beautiful.