Hidden in Plain Sight
Have you ever hidden in plain sight? Smiling. Showing up. Doing all the things.
But quietly shrinking inside? I have.
For the past 20 weeks, I’ve been peeling back the layers—Learning to stop performing and start being present.
Choosing to be seen, not just noticed. Known, not just needed. It hasn’t been easy. There’s risk in being real. But there’s also healing.
From a clinical perspective, many of us learn to “perform” without realizing it. Psychologists call this protective or emotional masking — adapting who we appear to be so we can belong, feel safe, or meet others’ expectations.
But here’s the thing: while masking helps us survive, it can quietly disconnect us from ourselves. Over time, that disconnection shows up as exhaustion, self-doubt, and feeling “unknown” even when we’re surrounded by people.
Healing begins when we notice the mask. When we pause long enough to ask:
Where am I showing up as who I think I should be… instead of who I really am?
What am I afraid would happen if I allowed myself to be fully seen?
This isn’t about tearing everything down at once — it’s about taking gentle steps toward authenticity and self-trust. Because the more you live from your true self, the lighter it feels to exist.
God didn’t create you to hide.
He created you to live.
To walk boldly in the light— your truth, even when it feels safer in the shadows.