That Jacket's Not Cute

It was on my mind again last night:  structure vs. chaos…spring cleaning… getting rid of stuff…fresh start…clean slate…new beginnings… I guess I’m talking about shedding, perhaps in every sense of the word.  Getting rid of unnecessary junk in your life.  Clearing the cobwebs out of your mental space.  Dropping the mask.  Shelving the costume and being brave enough to step out without the façade.  Most people will go through life never having done this.  Most go from day to day being who they believe the world wants them to be – needs them to be.  Most are deathly afraid of showing their true colors and letting the real them shine through.  They’ll spend their entire lives saying things like, “You don’t know me!” and “You have no idea who I am!”  And, in most cases, they will be absolutely right.  We, in fact, don’t know them as they’ve not allowed us that opportunity. 

 

This is a topic that I’ve touched on before, so my apologies if I’ve already lost you, but it’s a subject that I feel is super important.  I mean, ultimately it comes down to quality of life.  Some people are enjoying every corner of their lives taking in the full spectrum of possibilities that the world presents them while others only experience a fraction of that.  No, I’m not talking about living in deep depression (although that can happen); I’m talking about living like an animal housed at the zoo as opposed to one that’s running in the wild.  Both animals eat, sleep, and play, but the zoo-kept one is limited.  It can only run so far and get so rowdy before being stopped by someone or something.  The animal running in the wild is 100% free to do and be as it pleases.  Now in this example the zoo environment isn’t self-imposed, but the real-life constraints we put on ourselves are.  And why?  Because of our need to fit in?  Because of our insecurities?  Either way it comes down to fear.  For whatever reason, life, circumstances or another person has made you afraid to unleash and be your true self.  So there you live, bound and held back by the straitjacket that you willing dress yourself with every day.  You’d like to dance, but you can’t.  You want to clap, but you can’t.  And though you’d give anything to stretch your arms and soar, you won’t let you.  The fear of what others will think won’t let you.  Pleasing your parents won’t let you.  Being who your friends expect you to be won’t let you.  And so many will take their place in their caskets still wearing their restraints.  How unfortunate.  So many possibilities of what could have been went untouched because they wouldn’t free their arms to reach that far. 

But that doesn’t have to be your fate.  It needn’t be your destiny.  At any moment you have the power to decide to be your authentic self.  Admittedly, it’s not always the easiest decision to make because we live in our heads and our minds may try to play tricks on us.  The second we’re lying in bed smiling about the new path we’re gonna’ take, the thoughts begin to whisper in our minds…

“What will my parents think?”

“My girlfriend/boyfriend is gonna’ think I’m crazy.”

“What if my friends want nothing to do with me?”

“There’s a chance my husband/wife will leave me.”

“Have I lost my mind?”

And so often these thoughts are just enough to make sure we reach for that binding jacket yet another day.  And then you really start to feel stuck.  You’ve got your right mind but for all the cookies in the world you can’t seem to fix this.  Well here’s my two cents.  Sometimes it takes the help of a physical act to get you where you need to go – which takes me back to the beginning of this post:  shedding.  Sometimes we have to physically change our surroundings to free ourselves.  Literally getting rid of any and everything that is in any way connected to holding us back – dump it.  Sometimes this shedding may involve a physical relocation.  Sometimes a job change.  Sometimes a dietary change.  It’s different for everyone and only you know what it’s gonna’ take for you because only you know who and/or what is truly holding you back.  You’ve heard it before… “Such-and-such moved and changed on us.”  “So-and-so hasn’t been the same since getting that new job.”  Now, granted, sometimes people do *change* but most of the time they are simply revealing the authentic them.  For whatever reason their new environment has given them the strength, courage and bravery to drop their mask, and it’s a beautiful thing.  Living mask-free IS such a beautiful thing, and it would be an awful shame if you never allowed yourself that opportunity.  Give it some prayer and thought to find out what you need to shed then take the necessary steps to see it through.  It’s time to get rid of the straitjacket because your life is waiting for you.

My name is Jasmynne Shaye, and this is me STEPPING ON A FEW TOES.  

photo credit:  http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs22/f/2009/239/3/d/Arkham_Asylum_Straitjacket_by_theprincessbee.jpg