December 28, 2020
Over the past few weeks, this quote has come across my phone a number of times. When it does, I am led to an image of when I lost my hair due to cancer.
Losing my hair was a scary step for me. I know that’s vain, yet it was a real fear of mine…I did not want to look the part of cancer. Once I did, I would no longer be able to mask or pretend as if something major wasn’t occurring in my life.
For months I covered up my bald head with a beautiful wig until the day I was nudged to remove it. I was pushed to step right past fear and let people into my journey on a different level. When I released the need to “hold my image,” I learned a valuable lesson: when we embrace the difficulties and vulnerable moments in our lives through the lens of humility and humanness, we give others permission to embrace their wilderness moments with courage, character, and confidence.
We become real, together. People crave real. We can relate to real. Vulnerability connects us.
From time-to-time, all of us put on “wigs” to cover up portions of our life story. We put them on to ensure people see only the side of us we want them to see – the side that’s strong, put together and desirable to the standards of the world. Yet when we do this, we miss the opportunity to engage and connect at a soul level with those around us…at a level that connects hearts – making us real and relatable to each other.
When we take off our “wigs” in life, we build a deeper relationship with ourselves – one that feels good on the inside, not just looks good on the outside. We also build deeper relationships with those around us because we desire to understand them.
As we close out this year, think back at all the opportunities you had to connect at a heart level with others. What did those moments bring to your life?
As we approach 2021, let’s embrace these three commitments:
Choose to be a person who seeks understanding and desires to be compassionate. When you do, you’ll find yourself acting wisely toward others.
Choose to see people – whether you know them well or your interaction is in a store line, always offer grace and genuine goodness – you don’t know their full story and what they may be going through.
Choose to remove the “wigs” in your life that are keeping you from a deeper connection with yourself and others. Visualize what you will gain by taking this step.