Hi, my name is Jenn. Seven months ago I made a major decision that changed my life –especially the way I look at myself and the world around me. I realized I’d been living life from behind a collection  of masks, hiding my true self and projecting what I wanted the world to see. We can’t be completely honest and open all the time; we all wear masks to some degree, but I’m facing the fact that mine have been so ingrained in me for so long that I don’t know if the real me is different from the masks I’ve worn. Through this blog I aim to figure out if I’ve merely settled for being the person I’ve portrayed to the world, or if there’s more to me, more to who I really am. I’m embarking on a journey of self re-discovery, one I would like to share with you.

Whether this blog is read by an audience of one or a million, I’m writing it to achieve some major goals for myself. First, it will be a way for me to work out this new life I’ve started, and begin to discover the real me. Then, I will deal with my masks, and share how I’m working to take them off. I realize some masks are okay, even necessary, to wear in life. I’ll be working to understand and deal with how they’ve taken over who I am, and to overcome that. I also hope to connect with other people who can relate with what I have to say. Ultimately, I would like to start a dialogue on some often unspoken, but serious issues in a way that supports and encourages everyone who is impacted by them.

So as I start this journey, I’m asking you to join me in thinking about our masks. Who or what has you putting them on?

 Are you wearing the mask of the perfect wife, mother, Christian? How about a mask of indifference, so that the hurts of the world don’t appear to penetrate? Are you wearing the “happy fat person” mask or the mask of the obedient daughter? Some other mask?

What do your masks hide? What actions or emotions are you covering? Are you hiding things you should cover up, or do you need to take off the mask and let someone in?

What are you afraid of? Maybe like me, a lot of your fears come from wanting to be loved and accepted. I lived to make sure I was indispensible to the people around me, so that I felt needed. Some of my masks hide the fear of being alone or not wanted, or not being good enough.

The revelations will at times be scary, but this is also going to be a wonderful journey. Come shed some tears with me, but also laugh and grow with me as we discover who we are meant to be. There are blessings in store for us.