The Mask: The Masks I Wear – The Roles I Play

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages

-Shakespeare (As you like it)

When this world is a stage and we are all actors, there is certainly a need to wear masks. They help us act our way through this world. In fact, it is very much needed to survive and enjoy this world. And as they say, an actor can have multiple roles to play. He must then, change masks. However, one should always remember that there is a real ‘me’ hiding behind the mask. It is this ‘me’ that really enjoys the essence.

All are us have a variety of masks that each of us wears daily. These may be the identities that have been given to us, or ones that we have assumed over time.

As long as we recognize that what we wear is a mask we all are right. But when the mask becomes the seeming reality for us, then our troubles begin. We confuse the mask with the person, and if we are consummate enough actors, so do those around us. Gradually the mask becomes a trap, and we become the mask (as the performers did in the ancient Greek plays who would utter their lines while holding a mask in front of their faces).

Not every use of a mask is negative, however. Masks can help us build our own defenses for the time we need them. They can give us power, or at least the illusion of power, in a time when we may feel powerless. The masks can let us pretend or try new things. They can give us permission to express a portion of ourselves we generally hide. As long as the masks remain flexible and breakable, we can alter them at will, still realizing that we are not what we wear on our face as the mask we present to others.

We wear masks for our spouses; children; relatives; bosses, co-workers. We may wear numerous masks within the course of a single day. And yet where is the real us? It is very easy to get lost amid a closet-full of masks. Yet an awareness of the masks lets us look at the various aspects of our persona and our lives. We can then integrate and develop the aspects, to reflect the unique individual we are to the world.

As we go through life and make choices we look to others for input.  As youngsters we look to our parents and teachers.  Then as a teen, we usually defer asking our parents.  Throughout life we have many guides – friends, mentors, teachers, books, and experiences.  We can look for someone like Merlin or Yoda or Dumbledore.  We can also listen to that small voice within (intuition, inner child, conscience, call it what works for you).  That small voice integrated current information and environment with past experiences and knowledge to give us the choices that are available at the moment.  Sometimes we listen and sometimes we don’t, just like we have done with our parents through the years.  However, our personal storage system contains vast input, much of which we are not consciously aware of because we have filtered out most information in the moment.  The filters are beneficial for preventing overload.  The filters also are from our point of view and thus can interfere with having beneficial information.  However, trusting the small inner voice provides great guidance as we make our choices in life.

The owl is a symbol of a messenger and guide.  Native American and other cultures present the owl as magic and wisdom.  This is tied up in the owl’s acute vision and hearing.  The owl is a bird of the night, a symbol of darkness within.  It’s yellow colored eyes is symbolic of the light within the darkness.  In recent book and movie series of Harry Potter the owls are the messengers and warning system for their owners.

A symbol helps us question and integrate ideas, concepts, and beliefs. Symbols and other tools or techniques provide us with different perspectives to broaden our point of view which again is a form of guidance.  Your daily interactions and experiences are means of guidance.  Increase your awareness of your internal and external guidance to gather information to make choices in the moment.  Here’s to your guides.

The journey of life is like a maze – turns, twists, blocks, more than one entrance and exit, with a goal in mind.   As we journey, we need the spiral of the labyrinth – circling into our center and then back out to connect with the world.  Let’s figure out the “How To” in the choices and the challenges in expressing our gifts through our journey of life.

Mazes symbolize the decision-making process of our lives.  The intricate windings and illusions allow us to slowly unravel the secrets within ourselves and in the world around us.  We can learn to re-pattern our own lives in a more empowering way.  Each obstacle in the maize represents the challenges we face in our lives.  Each intersection represents the choices to be made in life.  Patience is a key virtue in solving the mystery of the maze.  You need patience to know yourself.

As things are challenging, chaotic, or we are in a hurry, we may need the calming and connection of the single spiraling path of the labyrinth.  This allows us to move forward to the center and out again, quieting our minds, clearing our sight, and creating the space for the next choice or decision.

Each of our abilities and talents need to be recognized and developed.  We know there will be obstacles along the path.  Our connection with our core, knowing who we are, and what we have to offer, will help us make the choices to complete the journey of our lives and reach our goal of expression.