Here I’ll share a little bit of a personal story.
Halloween is around the corner and because irony is one of my more favored humors, I wanted to leave everyone a positive reminder; wearing masks is fun, but being yourself is best.
But as I am writing this, I came across an interesting tidbit. October 29th is international internet day. I find this fitting because the internet is a symbol of communication and expression. The internet up many new channels of communication and expression. It gives us the ability to wear infinite masks. It also shows us how interconnected everything really is. We can open up portals to speak with and see friends and family from across the planet. Or we can communicate anonymously with millions of people. We can access information stored from incredible distances and carry it in our pockets. So I guess the other message for this post is let’s remember not to take the internet for granted and most of what we see online is a mask.
Some people worry about being judged by others, some people judge themselves too much. I fall into the latter category. As a child it bothered me that I would not be accepted into schools because of my hair – and when I did, I would be teased and get into fights with other children. It took a while for it to even occur to me to change myself for acceptance (which I tried and felt miserable).
You have to accept yourself before others can.
I’m more of the person to always ask “why?”. I accepted being different and stopped caring what other people think. Instead, I cared more about what I think, and set high standards upon myself. There’s nothing wrong with this but it’s important to remember not to judge yourself too harshly. Above all else, you have to accept yourself before others can.
We may want to be accepted into a certain circle, or simply appear a certain way to others. There are many reasons for wanting to wear a mask. Some believe that we are always wearing a mask. Regardless, we know what comes naturally and comfortably for us. This would be our “default mask” and nothing is better than this one. If it is a mask, it is one that does not create stress for us when we wear it, rather we find joy in being and expressing ourselves. Be yourself. Love yourself.
So yes, of course that means you can still be yourself AND dress up for Halloween.
Blessings,
Jahmaal
