Thursday, October 31, 2013

Masks and Costumes

Affirmations:
I live authentically, being what is true for me.
I no longer seek others approval; I now approve of myself.
I trust in my values, my purpose, my path and my choices.
What others think of me is none of my business.
I live my life my way and am grateful it is so.

Happy Samhain, Halloween, Day of the Dead

We all wear masks.
We all wear costumes.
Our faces show our mood.
Our clothing shows our choices.

The question is what illusion are you choosing.
What is your act?
What are you pretending to be or do or have?
How are you showing up in your world?

Some want to be authentic.
Some want to fit in and conform.
Some want to impress.
Some want to go unnoticed.

Everyday, not just at Halloween, we wear our mask (face) and costume (clothing).
Everyday we wear a frown or smile.
Everyday we put on clothing that is casual or dressed up, understated or showing off.
Everyday we decide what image we choose to present with our mask and costume.  

Who do You pretend to be? 
What costume are you wearing?
Does your body fit with who you really are?
Do you know how the world sees you?

We may hide our truth behind a mask or the many faces we wear.
Often we play a part to get the “treats” we want in life.
We may have learned pretending is the way to get our needs met.
Or we may be denying our Truth, because it does not fit or is judged or shamed.

There is a reward in the act or we would stop.
There is a cost to pay or we would not get hooked on it.
There is always a way to satisfy our need to continue.
There is the uncertainty of knowing if will we be believed.

There is the lie of believing we are what we pretend.
And when we are validated for the pretense, we cannot see what is.
When we are secure in playing the part, we may fear making a change.
When we have found what fits and belongs and pays the bills, we may get attached.

Consider taking off the mask and connecting with the natural innocent love child within.
Consider stopping the adulterated behaviors and clarify what is real and true for you.
Consider dropping the phony games and seek who you really are and what you really want.
Consider discovering what the good, beautiful, giving, wise being inside you really has come to be.

Loving you in learning, loving and listening to You,
Betty Lue

You Are A Flower in the Garden of Life

If you would grow to be your best self
Be patient, not demanding
Accepting, not condemning
Nurturing, not withholding
Self-marveling, not belittling
Gently guiding, not pushing & punishing

For you are more sensitive than you know
Mankind is tough as war
Yet delicate as flowers
We can endure agonies
But we open fully only to warmth & light
And our need to grow is fragile as a fragrance
Dispersed by storms of will
To return only when those storms are still

So accept, respect,
Attend your sensitivity

A flower
Cannot be opened
With a hammer

Anonymous

Rules For Being Human
(from an old Ann Landers syndicated newspaper column)

  • You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for as long as you live. How you take care of it or fail to take care of it can make an enormous difference in the quality of your life.
  • You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time school called Life. Each day, you will be presented with opportunities to learn what you need to know. The lessons presented are often completely different from those you THINK you need.
  • There are no mistakes—only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error and experimentation. You can learn as much from failure as you can from success.
  • A lesson is repeated until it is learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it (as evidenced by a change in your attitude and behavior), then you can go on to the next lesson.
  • Learning lessons does not end. There is no stage of life that does not contain some lessons. As long as you live, there will be something more to learn.
  • “There” is no better than “here”. When your “there” has become a “here”, you will obtain another “there” that will again look better than your “here”. Don’t be fooled by believing that the unattainable is better than what you have.
  • Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself. When tempted to criticize others, ask yourself why you feel so strongly.
  • What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. Remember that through desire, goal-setting and unflagging effort, you can have anything you want. Persistence is the key to success.
  • The answers lie within you. The solutions to all of life’s problems lie within your grasp. All you need to do is ask, look, listen and trust.
  • You will forget all this. Unless you consistently stay focused on the goals you have set for yourself, everything you’ve just read won’t mean a thing.