We wear Masks!

Mask ISOLATION

I wasn't going to write anything about COVID-19 as there are so many posts, Blogs and articles out there already. It's what is on everyone's mind. So I won't.
But there is an interesting observation that I have noticed.

EVERYONE IS WEARING MASKS

At sometime in our lives we all wear masks to some extent. Depression, loneliness, sadness, illness are some of the reasons we "Mask" ourselves. Whether it's at the office where you struggle hard to maintain a smile for your co-workers and customers or even amongst your own family where you Pretend to exude a false narrative that EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT. When actually you are worrying about finances, your aging mother or your cousin that is going through cancer treatments. Or, if you are like a lot of people who have illnesses that are not seen on the surface like heart disease, Lupus, PTSD, aching joints or even something as simple as a headache or cold, people will still judge you and you are forced to put on your mask.

Masks come in many forms. Firemen wear masks to protect them from smoke while they fight fires. Doctors mask up to protect themselves and patients from germs. Military personnel wear masks to protect them from harmful and deadly chemicals during battle. Some people wear masks to impress their friends and protect them from judgement. Facebook and other social media is a social mask that allows you to pretend to be something you really aren't. Sunscreen is an invisible mask that protects you from the sun.. Masks come in all of the Baskin Robins flavors, but the operative word here is
PROTECTION.
Take this time in isolation to examine what masks you wear and why you wear them. The world is not always "Peachy" or rose colored. In fact, I would venture to say that most of us are not "Living the lifestyle" we envisioned as children. Each and everyone of us is a unique bowl of alphabet soup that have their own stories, trial and tribulations. Don't be afraid to take off your mask and be yourself. Sometimes when you see someone as they really are you can empathize with them and realize that at some point in your life you may have been in that same situation or you can envision possibly that in the future you could be walking in their shoes.
Wearing a mask muddles up reality and may lead us to make mistakes.
In the military there is a concept called "The Fog of War". During a battle there are so many decisions that need to be made on split second gut intuitions or many lives, battles and wars can be lost. One tactic that is used is called the Smoke Screen. If you can't really SEE the enemy (or a friend) and evaluate their strengths, weakness and intentions you will most likely make some very bad mistakes. Don't judge by the cover on their face. Look past the facade and discover what's inside a person.

Fortunately, most of us have never been in a real battle with bullets, bombs and bad guys but we all have our own internal battles that we are fighting. By wearing a mask you are creating a smokescreen and isolating yourself from the reality of life and robbing yourself of the heart felt gift of understanding from those around you.

Take off your mask and allow this awesome community at WA help you get through the trenches. Receive praises as they come as well as criticism. They will help you keep going and steer you back on course when you flounder. We all have been in the doldrums and have lost the wind in or sails at times. If you see someone struggling lend them a hand and provide the wind they need to get on course again. If someone is succeeding, praise them and ask what they did to achieve the next level. Everybody here has the same goal and each one has an insight as how to reach it. Be yourself and take advantage of the training, work and mentorship that is offered here. If a Newbee like myself is struggling on a particular concept, reach out and provide them some help. It doesn't matter if you are a Newbee or a seasoned pro, collectively we can help each other down this magicial road.
Build RELATIONSHIPS!
Sometimes the "Best of ideas come from Babes".

I wish you all success and when or where I can I will reach out and lend a hand. I welcome any and all praise, criticism and mentorship you may provide to me and encourage you to actively seek out those that may be struggling. The feeling of giving without expectations of anything in return is phenomenal.

I'm taking off my mask!

It's time to be ME!
Let us SEE the REAL you ????

~ John