Tag Archives: Authenticity

Piece by Piece

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piece-by-piece

Piece by piece, day by day,
little by little and moment by moment
over the years until… there is nothing left.
That is how the soul dies.
They will tell you what to do, who to be and what to say.
So, who are they?  And why do we listen to them anyway?
We feel it isn’t right, but allow ourselves to stray from our truth losing our authenticity. We go through life in a daze hiding our strength, never letting them see us cry and then, there is simply this.
“Jesus wept.”
Is this a weakness, a failing, a lack of … something?
In our empathy we truly love and care for another with no ulterior motives.  Only when we acknowledge our own fears and failures can we even begin to offer some of the better parts of ourselves.  You have exactly what you need and someone needs what you have to give.
Acknowledge your fears, feel the sadness, celebrate the joys, love others relentlessly, believe in hope, grab hold of life and never let go!

Wearing Masks

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What hides behind the smiles?
The vacant staring eyes?
Aren’t we tired, so tired,
of wearing masks?
We stare into the mirror and
what do we see looking back at us?
There living inside we see the mystery,
of the imposter who we do not trust.
The eternal fight rages ever on,
to be who we were created to be.
An endless war wages in our brains,
could we be more than what we believe?
We must stand firm and unafraid,
for we are not meant to be fools.
We toss away the sweetest poison,
of false truths and the ridicule.
We have a destiny and a mission,
a path less traveled that beckons us there.
We must rise like a phoenix from the ashes,
knowing we are not the disguises we wear.
What hides behind the smiles?
The vacant staring eyes?
Aren’t we ready, so ready,
to take off the masks?

~Mark Schutter ©2016

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This poem was inspired by my hope that in 2017 I can continue to remove some of the many masks I wear that hide me from others. To be more authentic and real, more vulnerable and accepting, of myself and others. To not live under the shadows others expectations. My wife and I have decided that 2017 will be a year of preparation for us. Preparing our hearts, minds and bodies for the future of all that is good and available to us each day. Now, I leave the ball in your court, how will you live in 2017?

Happy New Year 2017!