Unmasking me...

Never let fear of failure or of making a fool of yourself hold you back from being who you really are. That's a line I heard from a movie recently and it got me thinking, about how we can actually hide ourselves so much so that we end up not even recognising ourselves. Yes I mean you yourself end up not knowing who you really are because you have hidden the real you under a mask. But why do we invent these masks when it is much easier to be yourself, or so it seems? Well the most plausible explanation is that it is not so easy being one's true self what with pressures from family, friends, colleagues not to mention life itself. It is therefore little wonder that most of us would pretend to be what we are not so we can fit in with the rest. Thing is as humans we were created with a sense of competition if I may call it that, that is we are all wired with a desire to excel and be the best, some more or less than others. Also society generally puts pressure on its members to conform to a certain standard, for example a man or woman in their 40s is expected to have accomplished much more than one in their 20s or 30s. You therefore find that when such standards are not met one feels like a failure and would in turn hide behind a mask to hide their low self-esteem. Some people have learnt to be super-efficient in trying to hide the pain of loss, instaed of mourning they throw themselves into their work. Most can agree that a lot of workaholics are underneath lonely and maybe suffering from a broken heart.
But why do we wear these masks for there are many different masks that people wear,some wear the mask of indifference pretending nothing touches you deeply because once you cared and got hurt. Some wear the mask of exuberance, they are always on top of the world only because they are afraid to show their emotions, admitting that they have feelings too. I believe we wear these masks so that we can be acceptable to those around us, because we think they won't accept us as we are. As I stated earlier society puts pressure on us to be superhuman so when we feel we are not performing up to par we put on a mask to hide. In short we wear masks so we can be loved, but how can I be sure anybody loves me if they don't know the real me. Food for thought brothers and sisters...

When life throws you a curveball…

What do you do when the rug is pulled from under your feet, when what you believed in is challenged by life’s storms and your faith is tested? Well this is a personal question which warrants a personal answer but to take a guess I am sure they will be some who will say sometimes that is time to give in and flow with the tide.
Recent unpleasant events have left me with the bitter taste of bile in my mouth as I again questioned how life works out. Some people say bad things happen to good people and yet others say if you are good and living right before God and man your life is supposed to be a breeze through or a walk in the park. From my life’s experiences I have learnt that bad things happen to both good and bad people alike and maybe more to the good people. The psalmist in the Bible says what do the righteous do when the foundations are shaken, then he proceeds to say my soul flee like a bird to the mountains, and therein I believe lies the answer to life’s challenges.
I believe when life throws you curveballs, it’s not time to throw your hands in the air and quit the game because things are not going your way, I believe it is at that moment that you need to develop a new skill and catch those curveballs so you can throw them back . It is at that time that you need to stand up and be counted, so you can prove that you are worth your salt. There is a common saying that goes WINNERS NEVER QUIT AND QUITERS NEVER WIN, meaning you have to stick around to the end in order to experience victory. Looking at the psalmist’s picture, fleeing to the mountains means I am looking for a vantage point from which I can launch my defence. In other words I am aware that where I am standing presently is shaky so I will look for a safe secure place and proceed to fight till I have what I desire. So in dealing with life’s blows it is sometimes necessary to take a step back and take stock of where you are presently so you will be able to ascertain if you are still playing the game right. Once you are sure of your standing then you need to start learning the rules of the game so you can fight back with knowledge because life is constantly changing and you cannot fight back if you don’t know the rules.
So instead of rolling over and playing dead I hope that you will take life by the scruff of the neck and give back what it throws at you, because there is no victory without a battle. Till next time good people aluta continua; the struggle continues and so does the winning. Blessings.