Today is Halloween, which means you’re probably scrambling to find the perfect mask. Zombie? Vampire? Barbie? That weirdly specific “corn on the cob” costume that somehow shows up every year? I don my daddy’s now decades old polka dotted clown suit he proudly wore in the Shriner’s Parades many years ago. Or sometimes it was the vagabond with baggy britches and a torn flannel shirt, beat up old black felt hat and pockets full of candy or boxes of raisins.
Here’s a wild thought: what if the scariest thing you could do this Halloween wasn’t putting ON a mask, but taking one OFF?
I’m not talking about your carefully applied spooky or fun makeup (though remember to remove it before bed, your pillowcase will thank you). I’m talking about the invisible masks you wear every single day. You know the ones. The “I’ve got it all together” mask. The “I’m fine, really” mask. The “I definitely didn’t eat an entire bag of peanut butter cups before trick-or-treaters even arrived” mask. (Okay, that last one might just be me.)
We’ve become experts at costume design for our souls. We’ve got the “Strong and Independent” mask for the office, the “Perfect Parent” mask for the school pickup line, and the “Totally Not Scrolling Social Media at 2 AM Comparing My Life to Everyone Else’s Highlight Reel” mask at, well, 2 AM.
But here’s the thing about masks: they’re exhausting to wear. They fog up. They make it hard to breathe, and eventually, the elastic snaps and hits you in the back of the head when you least expect it.
So what if this Halloween, you did something truly terrifying? What if you let people see what’s actually underneath all those masks you’ve been secretly wearing?
Maybe underneath your “I’m always positive” mask, you’re actually struggling, like me. Maybe beneath your “I have all the answers” costume, you’re filled with doubt, like me. Perhaps under your “I don’t need anybody” disguise, you really are in need of help and support, like me.
Here’s the beautiful, counter-intuitive truth: the moment you take off the mask, you become less scary and more human. Our vulnerabilities aren’t weakness; they’re our courage. Taking off your mask(s) says, “Here I am, unfiltered, unedited, and probably a little messy.” (Definitely messy if you’re me in the peanut butter cup candy situation.)
This Halloween, what if you started being honest about your fears instead of just dressing up as them? What if you exposed your insecurities instead of projecting an image of perfection? What if you admitted that we’re all just walking each other home, and sometimes we’re not sure of the directions?
So, here’s my challenge… as you get dressed up for this fun day: Pick a mask, just one, and consider setting it down, at least for a moment. Let someone see the real you, the beautiful, broken, brave, bumbling, brilliant real you before the costume and face paint are applied..
The truth is the face beneath the paint isn’t the scary part. It’s the sacred part. It’s the part worth sharing, the one that connects you, heals you, and reminds you that we’re all in this wonderfully weird human experience together.
This Halloween, may we all be brave enough to unmask and find that what’s underneath is worth celebrating far more than any costume we could ever wear.
(But seriously, still dress up. Halloween is awesome. Just maybe be real too.) Here comes a transformer and a ballerina up the walk. I hope there are still some peanut butter cups left.
Boo, Trick or Treat… you decide.
** join me tomorrow, Saturday and grab your copy, give it a quick read and leave me an honest review. Here is the link to get you right to it tomorrow.
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Vicki Dobbs is a bold and adventurous warrior walking a path of heart to manifest spirituality in everyday lives. She opens existential gateways for individuals to face their challenges and embrace these tests as the great teachers that they are.
Her goal is to see everyone walk in beauty and balance every day of their lives empowered by the voice of their own authentic truth.
Through Wisdom Evolution and Sacred Wisdom Workshops, Vicki creates opportunities for others to make deep personal changes through experiential classes, ceremony, sacred art and story. She endeavors to inspire others to create their lives intentionally. Vicki is an Inspirator of everyday awareness, an Instigator of spontaneous stories and a Connoisseur of Creativity. Gratitude and grace sprinkled with humility and humor are the medicine she brings to the world.
As an Elder, Teacher and Entrepreneur, Spiritual Coach, Ordained Minister and Crafter of Sacred Art and Tools, Vicki perceives life’s journey as an ever-upward spiraling ascension of the human spirit leading her to wisdom, wholeness and authenticity.
Her experience includes being trained in the Harner Method of Shamanic Counseling and the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition of Cross Cultural Shamanism. She is a Graduate Teacher and Mentor with the Lynn Andrews Center For Sacred Arts and Training and has been the Administrator and Writers Guide for Writing Spirit, the School.
Vicki is also an Artist of the Spirit Certified Spiritual and Energetic Life Coach, a Graduate Mentor in the AoS program and a founding member of HeatherAsh Amara’s Warrior Goddess Leadership Team and Facilitator of the Warrior Heart Practice.
Connect with Vicki here on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vickildobbsauthor