The Real Threat Wearing A Mask Places on Your Happiness

Whether a mask is worn for health or inner armor guarding insecurities, both place a threat on happiness. Learn to reach hearts in spite of the shields.

Do masks bother you?

You go to the store and you meet someone in the baking aisle. The shelves are completely bare, you roll your eyes and smile that ironic smile because she wants sugar, too.

But she doesn’t respond. Her face remains as expressionless as a piece of pink flowered fabric.

She can’t see your smile.

And you can’t see hers.

Because you’re wearing masks to protect each others health, that in turn make your faces look like robot shells.

Without a smile?

You have to make your eyes do all the work. So if people look to the side, politely or shyly, glancing off your face to your ears instead of your eyes, there is no communication happening.

And this is the threat wearing a mask places on people. While saving your health, you place yourself in danger of inner solitude.

Positive communication begins between strangers in one way.

A smile. You reach out to a stranger with a smile. If you get a smile in return, you know there is a chance to advance to words.

With no smile, you feel empty…  blank.

Alone.

Masks leave us feeling more lonesome than the social distancing of the Covid-19 pandemic.

And that is the threat inner masks place on your happiness.

The ones we wear on our hearts, to protect us from pain.

To cover up our insecurities, putting out a great, blank sign that actually says “I gave up. Life has beaten me.”

While on the inside we feel it all… Every snub. Every angry word. All the bad and so little good.

So we cover our soul with a pretty floral, and others think we’re fun and successful and on top of our game.

I wish we could get rid of all the masks.

Health may require masks (but, really? in your car by yourself??)

but the armor we wear on the inside? Let it go. Be yourself. Love yourself and others will love you.

Reach out to your neighbors and the strangers you cross paths with on a daily basis.

Jesus was all about reaching people.

He went about Galilee with his disciples, and especially toward the end of His three year ministry, He told story after parable after sermon.

The men who were to take up His work drank in His constant comments and helpful advice. Even though they didn’t know what it all meant at the time, He kept on. His time on earth was precious and about to be cut short.

Our time on earth is precious.

We don’t know when it will be shortened.

So let’s find a way to read each other; let’s find ways to really, truly uplift hearts

in spite of the masks.

Let’s pierce the shields and share the hope we have in our hearts.

(Read this article about how masks affect communication, and how other cues can be used to read people’s needs.)