It’s almost Halloween! Time to dress up and masquerade as whomever we like! Rooted in ancient Celtic traditions, Halloween celebrated the end of the harvest as well as the belief that the spirits of the dead were being released into the living world. In order to protect themselves from harm the Celtics wore masks and costumes on All Hallows Eve to scare away the evil spirits and prevent demons from identifying them. They gave out treats as offerings so that these same spirits would not harm them. The Celtics lived in fear and lived behind their masks in order to be able to cope with the scary world they lived in.
Taking on a new persona, even for a day is so intoxicating that consumers spend almost $3 billion dollars on costumes for that day… October 31st.
Halloween offers us scary decorations, sweet treats, interesting costumes, and for one 24-hour period, the possibilities of being someone we are not. What may be fun on the last day of October, may for some, actually be an excuse all year long. Many of us hide behind our masks and pretend to be someone that we are not each and every day. Our reflection in the mirror may be the person that we think we need to be rather than the person that we really are. These inner and outer images can spin a tangled story and serve the purpose of protection and insulation from our actual fears and realities.
What does it mean to lose our masks? When we simplify and shed the extra layers—shed the masks, we concentrate on meeting our own expectations and celebrating our own successes. We resist the temptation to compare ourselves to those around us or to focus on living up to the views of others.
Taking off our masks frees us to show up in the world on our own terms. No pretenses.
Together, let’s take a pledge. This year on November 1, let’s all get real; 100% genuine. Taking off our survival masks with our Halloween costumes is liberating. These masks may have been hiding us from everyone, including ourselves. Sometimes, our masks have been on so long we may have forgotten who we actually are beneath them. Being transparent allows us to be just a bit uncomfortable. Positive change happens for us when we allow ourselves the space in which to exist outside of our comfort zones. The space we need to push past those fears and excuses that keep our masks on.
The trick is taking the mask off; the treat, or reward is being authentically and truthfully YOU!
Randi Levin, CPC, founder & CEO, Randi Levin Coaching – is a nationally recognized transitional life strategist, Fortune 500 keynote, author, and reinvention expert. Randi Levin Coaching supports women in becoming legends in their own lives! Legacy is a mindset and a muscle that when flexed can become a power tool for change and redirection in the current moment. Randi is a catalyst toward a shift in perspectives in regard to fear, growth, purpose and overall success—all key elements of her Signature GPS Coaching System. Randi Levin Coaching is widely quoted and featured in top media outlets. She is a featured expert for Thrive Global, DivorceForce, The Three Tomatoes, Women for One, and Better After 50. Her workshops have been featured in The Wall Street Journal and you may have seen her in HuffPost, Reader’s Digest, Business Insider, American Express OPEN Forum, and Working Mother Magazine. She is regularly a guest on top podcasts and radio shows. Randi is a contributing author in the anthology series Get RESULTS!
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