We can wear many masks throughout our lifetime. The mask we wear can impact your life and the people around you in many ways.

Many times we can hide our true selves through clothes, actions, friends, job, relationships, and family. My question is for you is are you hiding your true self behind one of these masks? Are you having these certain aspects define who you are?

I hid behind my fashion mask for awhile. I had always been searching for the new look, or the perfect look in order that I may thrive off of compliments about my outfit and thrive off of the "love" that I received for how I looked. Little did I know I was putting up a mask so that I could be perceived as “put together”, when in reality my fashion was hiding my insecurities. It wasn't until I decided to view my fashion as art rather than my definition when I started to see the mask unveiled. My desire was to use fashion as a way of connecting with others rather than keeping it all for myself. Instead of a tool to hide from my true personality, I made it part of my personality.

I started to use my fashion as an outlet to talk to others and encourage them in their style. Everyone has their own style and every one has their own mask. Maybe a simple compliment on someone’s shoes can strike up a conversation on what their styles says about them and you can be an encouragement when someone really needed it. That interesting person with the cool shoes is now talking to you about their life and what they do for a living, all from one simple decision to speak out in confidence.

In the same way it only takes a conscious decision to change an entire look, it takes one conscious decision to affect the people around you in a positive way. Just as every conscious decision changes an outfits look, so does every word you chose to tell people.

After I started to sit and dwell in this mindset I started to see people, not for the clothes they wore but by their personality. The mask I decided to see them through was starting to be unveiled. Once I let down the mask on myself, I was then ready to unveil the masks in the lives around me. This can result in new friendships, great conversation, and maybe some new shopping buddies.

Unveiling the Mask