Traumatic Experiences Daily Check In - Monday May 14th 2018

How are you today? Is your inclination to say ‘fine when youre asked that question, even though there are about a thousand answers that would be more accurate. Why I wonder do we feel the need to maintain our persona of strength and invulnerability?

I was reading a little about the masks we wear. One article suggested there are several, including the happy mask of how wonderful our life is. The strength mask, of nothing ever gets to us. The pleasing mask, of wanting to be liked and living a selfless existence. The intellectual mask where we know so much stuff, including our magnificent self awareness because were all so sorted arent we?

Or are we?

For the sake of simplicity, and because Im essentially a simple person, I was giving some thought to my outer and inner masks. So the outer one is what I project to the world, and the inner one is the truer me that I seldom show, because to do so would be showing my vulnerabilities. If I was an artistic type Id like to have drawn those masks to show you, and included them in this post. But Im not arty, so heres some pictures I found which sort of sum up my inner and outer masks.

Outer mask - this is kind of what I present to the world. First thing to note, I dont think Im Mother Teresa! Oh goodness, far from it! But I do tend to project the caring, serene, giving persona. The idea of knowing my purpose in life.

But my inner mask, the truer me that I keep hidden, is more like this:

That slightly chaotic, unsure, hair tearing sense of too much to do, not enough time, and why am I even bothering with this anyway!

What masks are you wearing? How would it feel to just be authentic, and let the mask slide and the real you be seen?

Can you draw your inner and outer masks? Or perhaps there are pictures that symbolise those public and private sides of you?

Or just say hello. Its good to connect, and all of you are always welcome here.