Costumes and masks are no longer the holiday frill. The masks of today may not be as obvious as the monsters we dressed up as during Halloween but they are just as real. Many people use them everyday to hide who they really are inside. The common thought is that if people, especially friends, knew the real you they wouldn't like you. This common thread causes people to build up walls, put on masks, and push away the people who could like the person we are trying to hide. If we all took off our mask for a few minuets everyday we could be happier. Not every experience will be good. Some people may not like the real you. But if they don't want to be around you when you are acting like yourself then they don't need to be around you at all. It is their loss not yours.

It is not an easy thing to be yourself. Showing people your feelings and emotions can be very frightening. It takes time and practice for some people to feel comfortable as themselves but it needs to be done. The more time spent without the mask the more you learn to like yourself. The more you like yourself the easier it is to make new friends to replace the ones who can't accept who you really are. These little life changes my not be fun but for the chance at a better life it is worth the risks.