True Freedom

 They say it takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. I think it takes even more courage to grow up and let others love you for who you really are. We tend to hide ourselves from others. There is always someone who you hide yourself from.. It could be hiding tattoos from family, hiding your depression from friends and family, or sheltering your true self from loved ones.. often times it can be all three plus many more. Meaning, on one hand you are free. Free to be yourself, free to love yourself, live your story, your dharma, and be authentic.. but then on the other hand, you are shackled to those you hide yourselves from. The scariest, but most freeing thing in the world is revealing your true self to others.

Now is the part I wish I could tell you how to do it. How to walk up to a loved one, take off a mask, or a layer and say.. "So, this is me... this is who I really am. Take it or leave it." But, I myself am scared of that person leaving it. So, I too continue to wear a mask certain places.. Out of fear. The most binding of emotions... fear.
This weekend has been a whole lot of taking masks down and getting to know the real person behind the mask. I recently showed myself to someone I haven't shown myself to in a long long while. I went into her home, with my hands up in question, and let my guard down.. in hopes she would still love me the next day. I think she still does, and I felt a small piece of the shackle break. We were able to talk in rawness, about being true to ourselves, and releasing our fears.

It's a long process. It won't happen over night, but piece by piece those shackles can be broken. We can slowly show our true selves to the ones we care about and no longer be afraid. We can surround ourselves with those who love us for us. 

And we can truly grow up and become who we really are without being fearful of rejection. That is true freedom.

View More: