Do People Know The Real You or Are You Still Hiding?

photo snapped from youtube

Being completely ourselves is what the spiritual journey is all about. It might sound easy, but everyday I work with people who’s fundamental challenge is to be themselves–their real selves.

This whole culture trains us to wear a mask. If we don’t conform to what our parents, friends, and culture want, we risk alienation, rejection, and humiliation.

So, when men and women step forward and break through the cultural boxes about how we “should” be or how we are “supposed” to be, I smile and rejoice.

Enter Lana Wachowski–formerly of the famous Wachowski brothers and director of the new movie Cloud Atlas.

Lana is a complete badass.

Not only did she direct the Matrix trilogy, one of the most popular movies of all time, but she somehow kept her true Self hidden most of her life even as a successful Hollywood director.  She didn’t come out as a transgendered woman for the past ten years because she valued invisibility over visibility and fame. This is one of the most compelling 30 minute youtube videos I have ever seen because it’s a real person’s real, raw story that left me feeling heart-opened, inspired and awake.

Recently, she received the Human Rights Visibility Award. To me, she is person of the year. Her courage is as outrageous as I imagine she is.

As a parent, after watching this video, I felt a huge sigh of relief, knowing that people everywhere, particularly children, now have even more permission to be who they really are.

I cried as I imagined all of the transgendered youth still in the closet for fear of being bullied, or worse killed (given the amount of hate toward gays and transgendered people), who don’t fit in to the gender binary in this society, getting full permission to come out.

Lana’s story is remarkable as she discusses her youth, her struggles, her suicide attempt, and her final reason to come out as a woman and choose to face the music.

While her experience might be extreme, it nevertheless represents how we all struggle to be ourselves. And from her story I draw inspiration to be me more fully.

I bow to you sister!