I've written and taught about wearing masks before, but this post (The Joy of Quitting) from Seth got me thinking. What if we burned our masks (the type that suck away our authenticity) in some great fire?
Politicians tend to be prone to mask wearing. Ironic as that may be, since they really are supposed to be servants of the citizenry. This is soberly played out in the video clip link of President Nixon in Seth's post. The pre-speech interaction and honesty is worth the view.
When you wear masks to "project" or to deceive, you are taking a poison pill. A pill that takes life very slowly…over time. Most would agree that it's not worth the cost.
Have you come to that conclusion?
Here are a some stakeholders who stand to benefit when the masks are discarded:
- Your family. Believe me, they are longing for you to show up.
- Your career. Are you really doing what is consistent with your wiring?
- Your next entrepreneur venture. The potential benefactors of your ideas are worn out from empty ideas by mask-wearers.
- Your customers. Too much coming at them-everyday-for you to be anything less than authentic.
- Your organization. They may see potential in you that you're afraid to face.
Great thoughts, Will!
Losing your “authenticity” starts early, which makes change diffiult later on in life.
Like the Halloween test too.
Thanks for tuning in.
Yes authenticity is all that – but there’s a reason its elusive – Many of us as very young children learned to ignore our needs, wants, & desires (there are many sad reasons kids do it.) So we can’t just start being authentic – it feels selfish, silly or even sinful.
Does this ring a bell for you? Hey its Halloween – theres a fun test for you. Put on a really good mask so your friends don’t know its you. If it feels really good to get out of your self – maybe you’ve been carrying around an inability to express your needs, wants, desires and are dying to permanently drop this aberration that you are.
So keep a few masks handy for corporate visits? And definitely for political ones?
Great insights, Jon! The journey to authenticity is not meant to be a solo one.
Not sure (hope I’m wrtong) the large corporate world will ever embrace authentic behaviors, but I write for the pilgrims not the Matrix.
Perhaps part of the problem is: we feel we might not be liked if we are authentic! After all we live 24/7 with the authentic person…
On the flip side when we find that authentic person we love being around them and near them.
I wrote about this in the song “I Like Me Best When I’m Next to You.” It’s song three on my player: http://myspace.com/hansondemo The song is my best explanation of my 26 year relationship with my wife.
Not only do I, like me best, when I am near Nita; I strive to be open and authentic as she is.
Maybe it’s transferable to business…
Jon Hanson