How to Remove the Mask and Stop Pretending

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” ~William Shakespeare

The “play” of life takes place upon two stages. The rehearsal stage is the one which lies in our mind and we often keep behind the curtain. Then we use the live stage where we perform in light for all to see. Rehearsals are always in session in thoughts about what to say, the way we behave, and our appearance.

Many of the scripts we write during rehearsal never see the light of day. We must realize that everything we practice in our minds has as much if not more of an effect on us than what we display, however. This plays a large part in shaping our demeanor, our character, and even our values.

How do we write our script? What are we rehearsing throughout our day? Is it negativity, anger, and fear? Are we practicing what to say to manipulate getting what we want? Do we picture ourselves causing harm to others or talking down to people we may not agree with?

What about repeating old, worn-out scripts that always end in tragedy? Do we see ourselves being dishonest or giving up on things? These are the thoughts that will create hazards along our path and jeopardize our relationships.

If we are to develop our assets and become who we want to be, we may need to flip the script. We recite lines of hope, faith, and love. Our practice includes compassion, humility, and we do not forget to add humor.

The imagination is not practicing to tell the boss off. Instead, we can rehearse what it would look like to respond with patience and empathy. We rehearse the performances that will lead to our “happily ever after” rather than picturing failure. And we do not allow fear, anger, and insecurity lead us to forget what we value or to guide our behavior.

As we practice more, we will gain the nature of honor, respect, and courage.

Notice there is nothing mentioned about acting here. We are not rehearsing for a show where we pretend to be someone else or act out of character. We practice how we want to be. There is a difference between acting kind toward someone and practicing compassion, like sympathy vs. empathy.

Sometimes we may need to learn through empathy and to practice these traits. This will lead us to develop those qualities instead of acting like we have them. The results will be genuine and lasting while we remain true to ourselves.

It is okay to be out of costume in our lives (No, I don’t mean naked. Well, unless it’s appropriate of course). We need to remove the masks and throw them away. Otherwise, we may be tempted to try them on again. Instead of costumes and masks, we develop into appearing as our true selves. Who we are already deep inside. This is vital to our freedom.

Do your rehearsals reflect the person and the life you envision for yourself?

Read Ambitions vs. Expectations and How to Balance Them next!

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Originally published at Freedom Is Free.