The world is full of people that wear masks to hide shame, pain and sadness from the world around them. Our society is obsessed with the three word question, “how are you?” From the day we arrive on the planet, we are trained that we’re supposed to answer this seemingly simple question by putting on our happy faces and replying, “I’m okay.” I looked it up in the dictionary and the word, “okay” is essentially being neither good or bad but simply living in the grey. Life is full of ups and downs, and yet we fool ourselves into believing the lie that saying, "we’re okay" somehow makes it a reality.
Learning how to open yourself up to other people is an incredibly difficult decision that requires one to make a choice to be vulnerable. No one likes admitting they make mistakes or that life is full of painful experiences, but this is a simple reality of living in a broken world. There are going to be days where we just want to quit because nothing seems to be going the right way, things happen and often times we’re actually not just, “okay." Make the choice to live a vivid life, one of joy and sorrow, rather than being stuck in a middle ground.
Vulnerability is hard because it means sharing your innermost thoughts, which forces you to honest with yourself. The moment you discover self-honesty is the moment you become free from your past mistakes, fears, heartbreaks and failures. Vulnerability means you can take off the mask you show to the world and begin to embrace your individuality.
Honesty and vulnerability are two entirely countercultural traits in a society where people would rather hide their emotions, than ever dream of publicly expressing their feelings. The prospect of confronting those scary and hurtful memories is unnerving, and by no means an easy feat. The real beauty in vulnerability is that sharing the dark and twisty moments in life provides a chance for healing and support. It’ll be uncomfortable at first, but it is the first step toward discovering self love and self acceptance.
So when faced with someone asking how I am, I’m going to take it day by day and answer honestly. Somedays, I’m good and somedays I’m really, really bad, but ultimately it’s my decision to take charge of how I feel; I reserve the right to be real with others and more importantly with myself. So the next time you're faced with that ominous question, are you going to settle with just being, “okay” or are you ready to face how you're really feeling?