DROP THE MASK!

There's this mask people wear when they first meet others in life.

They are on our best behaviour,

They watch what they say,

They listen to get a good feel of who the other is,

What they think will be acceptable to say around that certain person,

And they adjust themselves to fit in, to be accepted by that person,

Whether for a one off meeting,

For a day,

For a few days, a week...what ever

Until they get to know them a little more.

And the longer they know someone,

Slowly the mask comes down and they start to bare all of who they really are.

I say...no freaken more to this.

Stuff the mask, the veil, that you hid behind

No matter what situation you're in,

It's so important to be all of who you are...all of you.

Don't be one person on the first meeting

And once you think you're safe to show all of you...to then show all of you

No, no, no...no way

Stop with the surprises,

Doing it this way will only cause you issues down the track.

Be all of you now,

From day dot,

And if you gel, you gel,

And if you don't, great you don't.

It is so much better to know someone for all of who they are straight up, first time round.

Be it a client, a friend, a workmate, a lover, a mentor, a trainer....whoever.

Just be all of you.

I get it, over time, you will learn more about a person...absolutely.

But what I'm really saying here is,

Stop with the politeness, people pleasing, so called appropriate behaviour acts

And start showing up as who you truly are.

Speak how you speak,

Say what you believe in,

Say what you want from the get go,

Speak your truth,

If you're having a shit day - say so,

If you're having a great day - say so,

Act how you would act with those who have known you forever,

Belly laugh if that's you,

Drop the 'F' bomb, if that's you,

Sing, dance & move to your own beat.

When you do, you will feel more satisfied within yourself,

Simply because you're not trying to be someone you're not.

You will meet people who are similar to you,

Or who are not, but who accept all of you,

And you will meet them faster.

Don't ever, ever apologise for who you are,

What you do, How you do & be.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been photographing some truly awesome women.

With each of them, we've had some great conversations mixed in with the photoshoots.

Each of them have had a great time, as have I.

And just the other day, one of them said to me at the end of her photoshoot

"I feel like I've known you for years"

This is because, anyone who steps into my space, my home, my studio

You are free to be all of you,

I am free to be all of me,

And because of this, because we do, no masks are being worn and we just get to be ourselves in the conversations,

The one being photographed get's to be all of who she is,

And I get to be all of who I am in the way that I direct your photoshoot.

The same can be said and done in life too.

If you don't feel you can truly be yourself around someone,

Question that...what's holding you back from being you.

Then, give yourself the permission to do so...to be you...all of you.

Allow yourself to come into a space of your own

And put your hand up to what you think, that they may think of you.

What they think of you, really isn't any of your business,

And what they think of you, doesn't matter....what matters is what's right for you.

You get to choose who you surround yourself with,

And if it doesn't feel right, give yourself permission to give space between you and them.

And like always, those who get you, accept all of you no matter what,

Will never make you feel uncomfortable,

Will never make you second guess yourself,

Will never make you question anything,

You always just blend beautifully for all those who get you.

And as you go about being all of you, in full capacity,

Allow those who come into your space to be all of them, in full capacity too.

Drop the mask and be all of you everyday, everywhere, with everyone, in every situation.