Truths and Ladders

On this journey of never ending personal growth, every move is funneled through a singular premise:Challenge your perspective. Life is a stage and seats are all around the arena. Your vantage point is yours alone but it is not special. The folks in your proximity share the same section. That makes your experience unique, but only compared to those on the outside looking in.That same logic applies to you, everywhere you aren’t. Whether it’s the floor seats or the nosebleeds, you can’t be two places at once. An opinion formed in one section may share the sentiments of another, but it can never speak on their behalf.Of course, the one exception to this rule is the stage itself.Today’s audiences often give their unique experience away for free. Lights from cell phones held high give performers windows to see themselves while on display.It is special, always. Nothing a spectator says can compare to being under the spotlight. The brightness, the heat and the pressure to please. All eyes on you. Well, all eyes except the ones whose opinion matters most….your OWN.The crowd can offer a 360* high definition view of you, but how do you see yourself? Do you convey the conviction of your truths or leave a false impression?More importantly, how close does their perception of you match how you self-identify?I haven’t shaved my face bare in at least two decades. My kids and wife have never seen me without a beard. Before doing so, I had no expectation of what it would look like.Afterward, I felt almost unrecognizable. The value I attached to a thin layer of hair seems trivial on paper but serious AF in reflection.My reaction was not unfounded. I wish I had a photo of their faces. The words used were, “Whoa” & “Weird”.I feel unrelatable at times, which according to both this note and scrabble isn’t even a word.So it makes sense I can’t define someone who sees me for me.Looking at my face now makes that feeling make sense.I djed for nearly 20 years. To this day, I still do not like the sound of my own voice.This caused me not to speak as much as I could have, maybe even should have. If saying these things out loud lost their ability to relieve pressure, they may never see the light of day.Music was my security blanket. The songs I chose and the weaves woven conveyed what my mouth wouldn’t.My beard was there for the entire ride. Now it’s gone, nowhere to hide.If my wife & children’s eyes say “who TF is THIS guy?”, has my vision always lied?