Blogging for 2020 ~ The Mask
She lay on the couch, in review, sobbing at just how superficially she had lived her life…lamenting about her mask—her life-long self-presentation to the world, her manufactured identity. I handed her a tissue to catch the river of tears running down either side of her face. She dabbed and wiped until the tissue was soggy. As she viewed the nature of her superficiality in its entirety, as well as the crazy lie that she called her life, she slipped into a state of abject helplessness. Giving up the façade seemed impossible. The mask, as she claimed, was welded in place.
At one point, she beseeched, “How do I ever do this, Ia? How do I ever get rid of this mask? I’ve worn it too long.” As she spoke, she fumbled with eyes closed, placing the soggy tissue flat across her face. “See,” she lamented, “here’s my mask. How do I get rid of it?” Minutes ticked by.
Suddenly, in her moment of deepest despair, she blurted out, “I know how to get rid of the mask!!” Just as fast, she sucked in a lungful of air, pierced her lips and went POOOH. The tissue went air-bound, as laugher erupted from deep within her heart. Quieting down, she exclaimed, “There, I can have joy now.”
She began to play with those two words “joy now”, placing emphasis here and there. Her sense of freedom was palpable. I asked her if perhaps her “new name” might be “JoyNow”. She laughed. She cried for joy. She was face to face with the name of her authentic self—her real name. If this were not enough, she went on to explore, from greater awareness, her life purpose, where she was going from here. It was crystal clear that she was leaving her life as she knew it, and she was ready.
This woman had rushed in the door that morning, claiming that time had gotten away from her and hence she had no time to put on her make-up, only shower before coming to see me. In truth, the process of “getting real” had begun the moment she did the unthinkable, come out into the world without make-up.
She departed with grave intention and urgency to live her life purpose. She also departed with a host of unseen ones surrounding and supporting her. This is one of many major gifts that fall upon us when we dare to get real.
If ever there were an important time to get real, it is now. Why? The winds of change are upon us, although much of humanity remains unaware, or chooses ignorance. We must wake up. We must live by intention. This woman, in choosing to take off the mask, entered into a brave new world. She has now completed the toughest part of preparing for these changing times—the inner preparation. In giving up “the mask” she has died to her manufactured self. Out of the ashes a new self is emerging. Consciously living is the greatest gift we can give to ourselves and to the world. Her journey will certainly come with many challenges, but none insurmountable, as long as she remains true to herself.
As could be seen in the story, confronting ourselves can be painful, excruciatingly so. Not confronting ourselves is a worse fate, it is a life wasted. Start now. Take one step. It will lead to another, which will then lead to the next…and so on. There is so much waiting for us. And, no time to waste.
Categories: Greater Self, Ego Death, Personal Self, God's Thoughts, Life Purpose, Brilliant Self, Unseen World, Choosing Life, Awareness, Ego, Transformation, Freedom, Intuition, collective consciousness, Unseen Ones
This mask stuff and how to take it off interests me - surely this person did more than just blow hers off. How did she get to the point where she could laugh and "poof" the tissue away. Seems to me, she must have done a lot of soul searching first. Did she start with a phone session with you or a book or what. I want to be more real, more like a worn-out well-loved teddy bear than a new one. Where/how do I start?
Thank you.
Muriel
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To this point my life has been about helplessness, trying to control everything and really not having any control over anything. I have been a silent participant in my life--afraid to take an active role in my life due to a childhood of helplessness. Lately I have had an inner urge to join life, to join MY life. I now see that I have gotten past enough fear that it is impossible not to take an active role in my life, to let down the shield and LIVE. The best of me is all inside of me ready to burst out. Now, my life can change because I am changing. Much gratitude!
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To Muriel: Much of my demasking success is due to the support I have received over the past 10 months from a gathering of unseen ones, always there helping and guiding me to transformation. The calling of the unseen ones (the gathering) initially began during my first phone session with Ia last October. With subsequent monthly phone sessions, the workshops in February and April and my three-day intensive in July, the gathering has become quite formidable. An impressive bunch!
Answering the question as to whether me, the vessel, is full needing to be emptied or empty needing to be filled has essentially propelled my curiosity to know me, to understand who I really am. Going deep is essential to this process. Accessing memory, with Ia as my guide, has gifted me with truthful knowing and understanding. I call it "access to assess". Let me explain..."Access" (memory) to past risks, behaviors, attitudes, experiences, thoughts...from living in the past or living in the future to "Assess" (transformation), from my heart, to present risks, behaviors, attitudes, experiences, thoughts...to living in the now. Accessing memory or "knowing" IS THE KEY to understanding, transformation, realization, clarity, discovery, "ah ha", holding space, coming to terms with my wounded child, making sense of the history and why circumstances are what they are or were what they were...it is the key that lifted the mask.
A quote from Albert Einstein sums it up beautifully..."The world we have made as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far creates problems we cannot solve at the same level of thinking at which we created them".
An analogy about the Work we are doing...
Imagine taking a trip (first phone session) with a heavy backpack, five suitcases, two large trunks, one fanny pack, three shoulder bags, one large purse and a lightweight carry-on. A HEAVY LOAD. Imagine returning from that trip with a heavy backpack, four suitcases, two large trunks, one fanny pack, three shoulder bags, one large purse and a lightweight carry-on. Still, a heavy load.
Imagine taking another trip (second phone session) with a heavy backpack, four suitcases, two large trunks, one fanny pack, three shoulder bags, one large purse and a lightweight carry-on. Imagine returning from that trip with three suitcases, two large trunks, one fanny pack, three shoulder bags, one large purse and a lightweight carry-on.
Imagine taking yet another, longer trip (workshop) with three suitcases, two large trunks, one fanny pack, three shoulder bags, one large purse and a lightweight carry-on. Imagine returning from that trip with one suitcase, one trunk, one large purse and a lightweight carry-on.
Now imagine taking an extended trip (intensive) with one suitcase, one trunk, one large purse and a lightweight carry-on. Imagine returning from that trip with a lightweight carry-on.
Leaving the baggage at the baggage claim and walking away...FREEDOM!
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I didn't get much past the second paragraph before sobbing myself....how beautiful this story, how profound her experience....how wonderful that she experienced joy. I had a very familiar experience in May, and the love and the joy that flooded into me as I reviewed my life/past behaviors/experiences and truly let them go, so I could move forward as a newly-uninhibited, active participant in "my" life, carrying that love and joy with me everywhere I go and in everything I do...with MUCH gratitude - even for the bumps along the way...
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Great blog.
I love the new layout. It works. It's wonderful.
Cheers!
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I felt an ancient, expansive energy as I came upon the story, "Grandmother Flower," and my body started shaking. My body was in complete resistence to reading it.
Then as I read it, I felt myself being pulled into a world or space that was far away from earth. I could smell the essence of flowers...radiating, pulsating through my nostrils and into my very pores, cells. Colors were swirling...all colors of the rainbows. I ended up in Ancient Egypt. I am a man and am standing in an ancient boat. With a long stick reaching down to the bottom of the river, I am guiding the boat with direct precision. I am strong...I know where I am going and am in the moment. Also a vision of two distinct colors...gold and purple.
I continue through the Spirit Talks and find while I'm reading "Gold," I'm again pulled into a world far from earth. My third eye is pulsating and feels very open and expansive. My body is light. Again colors. I'm in the fairie world. Gold dust sparkling...green everywhere. Leprechauns here in the fairie world are like the Hathors from Ancient Egypt. I am a Hathor in the form of a Leprechaun. I hear that I am peace and love, that I bring the message of long ago. A message calling us back home...over the rainbow!
Thank you Ia for sharing your stories. The stories were like lazer light information that took me to the two above visions. Your words were like signposts or markers that took me to god's world.
With Peace and Love...
Papyrus
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I felt an ancient, expansive energy as I came your story, "Grandmother Flower," and my body started shaking. My body was in complete resistence to reading it.
Then as I read it, I felt myself being pulled into a world or space that was far away from earth. I could smell the essence of flowers...radiating, pulsating through my nostrils and into my very pores, cells. Colors were swirling...all colors of the rainbows. I ended up in Ancient Egypt. I am a man and am standing in an ancient boat. With a long stick reaching down to the bottom of the river, I am guiding the boat with direct precision. I am strong...I know where I am going and am in the moment. Also a vision of two distinct colors...gold and purple.
I continue through the Spirit Talks and find while I'm reading "Gold," I'm again pulled into a world far from earth. My third eye is pulsating and feels very open and expansive. My body is light. Again colors. I'm in the fairie world. Gold dust sparkling...green everywhere. Leprechauns here in the fairie world are like the Hathors from Ancient Egypt. I am a Hathor in the form of a Leprechaun. I hear that I am peace and love, that I bring the message of long ago. A message calling us back home...over the rainbow!
Thank you Ia for sharing your stories. The stories were like lazer light information that took me to the two above visions. Your words were like signposts or markers that took me to god's world.
With Peace and Love...
Papyrus
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