The Mirror and the Mask: Are You Living in Your Truth?

📒 Show Notes and Resources 📒

About this video:

Are you living your truth, or are you hiding behind a mask that no longer serves you?

In this episode of And That’s the Tea Podcast, we dive deep into the masks we wear—the ones designed to protect us but ultimately hold us back. Living authentically is more than a buzzword; it’s the foundation for true connection, alignment, and growth. It’s time to take a hard look in the mirror and ask, “Am I showing up as my true self?”

✨ What you’ll take away from this episode:

➤ Why we wear masks and how they disconnect us from our authentic selves.

➤ The hidden costs of hiding behind perfection—professionally and personally.

➤ Practical steps to peel back the layers, embrace vulnerability, and reconnect with your true self.

If this episode speaks to you, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite app—it only takes a moment but makes a big difference! You can also leave a review on our website at www.teawithlynn.com.

Don’t forget to share a screenshot of the episode on Instagram and tag us at @teawithlynngraham so we can personally thank you for helping us grow this community!

=============================

📘 Let’s Connect on Instagram!

=============================

➡︎ @teawithlynngraham

➡︎ @soultalksbylynn

=============================

📱 Subscribe and Listen to And That’s the Tea Podcast HERE:

=============================

➡︎ Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4a5UC6Z

➡︎ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3PmNwS5

➡︎ iHeart: https://ihr.fm/4a5V7xT

➡︎ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3DG8ucd

=============================

Explore More from And That’s the Tea:

=============================

⚡️LYNSPIRE AFRO TEES: Celebrate culture and empowerment with our exclusive tee collection! ➡︎ http://lynspiretees.com

⚡️BOOKS: Empower young minds with our inspiring children’s books:

➡︎ Empress of Coils: A celebration of natural beauty and cultural pride.

➡︎ You’re Pretty for a Black Girl: Breaking stereotypes and inspiring confidence. ➡︎ https://www.teawithlynn.com/books

⚡️ For Sponsor Inquiries or Business Opportunities, visit ➡︎ http://teawithlynn.com

=============================

Our Mission

Our mission at And That’s the Tea is to empower women to align, thrive, and grow by sharing transformative stories and actionable insights.

=============================

#LivingYourTruth #AuthenticityMatters #PersonalGrowthJourney #SelfDiscovery #EmbracingVulnerability #AuthenticLiving #BlackWomenEmpowerment #PurposeDrivenLife #BreakThroughBarriers #EmpowermentPodcast #blackempowerment #blackfemalepodcast #transformationtuesday #empoweringblackwomen #transformation #transformationjourney #mentalhealth #emotionalhealing #vulnerability #selflove #overcomingfear #embracingimperfections #personaltransformation #empowermentforwomen #livingyourtruth #selfreflection #selfacceptance

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to and that's the Teapodcast, where truth meets transformation
and black women take center stage.
This isn't just a podcast.
It's your space to reclaim,reflect, and rise.
Together, we'll dive deep intothe challenges and triumphs that
shape us with conversationsthat empower, heal, and remind you

(00:21):
of your brilliance.
So get comfortable.
It's time to spill the tea,honor your truth, and step unapologetically
into your power.

(00:46):
When was the last time youlooked in the mirror?
Really looked?
Not just to fix your hair orcheck your outfit, but to see yourself.
I'm not talking about theversion of you the world knows, the
polished, perfect, puttogether mask you wear every day.
I'm talking about the youbehind the mask.

(01:06):
Have you ever met her?
Here's the thing.
A lot of us walk through lifewearing masks so heavy, we've forgotten
what it feels like to breathe freely.
We smile when we want to cry.
We say, I'm fine.
When we're not.
We shapeshift into whateverversion of ourselves we think will
be accepted, celebrated, or,let's be honest, just tolerated.

(01:28):
But at what cost?
Today, we're peeling backthose layers.
We're looking at the masks wewear and why we feel the need to
put them on.
Because here's what I know tobe true.
Living behind a mask mightkeep you safe, but it will never
set you free.
And freedom, sis, is what youare made for.
So wherever you are, take adeep breath.

(01:48):
This is going to be one ofthose conversations that changes
you.
If you're ready for it, let'stalk about the mirror, the mask,
and the truth.
I once met a woman who seemedto have it all together on the surface.
Her smile lit up the room.
Her words always hit the rightnote, and she had a way of making

(02:09):
people feel comfortable.
But when she sat across fromme, her eyes told a different story.
They were tired.
Not from lack of sleep, butfrom carrying the weight of trying
to be everything for everyone.
She said, I feel like I'mliving two lives.
The person I show to the worldand the person I am when I'm alone.

(02:29):
And honestly, I don't evenknow who that person is anymore.
How many of us have felt like that?
Like we're two versions of ourselves.
The one we show to others andthe one we hide, even from ourselves.
We wear these masks to protectus from judgment, rejection, or disappointment.
And at first, the mask feelslike armor.
It keeps us safe.

(02:49):
But over time, it starts tofeel like a prison.
We convince ourselves it'sbetter this way.
If they really Knew me, theywouldn't stay.
If I take off this mask,they'll see my flaws, my fears, my
failures.
But let me tell you, sis.
Hiding your truth doesn't makeyou safer.
It makes you smaller.

(03:09):
Here's the thing about masks.
They might fool the world, butthey'll never fool your soul.
And that's why so many of usfeel restless, disconnected and unfulfilled.
Because the soul longs for truth.
It aches for freedom.
So let me ask you, what maskare you wearing right now?
Is it the mask of perfection?

(03:30):
Pretending you've got it allfigured out?
The mask of strength?
Carrying everyone's burdensbut hiding your own?
Or maybe it's the mask of good enough.
Afraid to let anyone see your greatness.
Whatever it is, it's time toface it.
Because until you take off themask, you'll never see the reflection
of who you truly are.
Let me tell you somethingabout masks.

(03:51):
They don't just hide your truth.
They distort it.
They make you believe that theversion of yourself behind the mask
isn't good enough, isn'tworthy enough, isn't lovable enough.
And the longer you wear it,the more you forget what's real and
what's just a reflection of fear.
But what if I told you thatthe freedom you've been searching

(04:13):
for doesn't come from beingaccepted by others?
It comes from accepting yourself.
Think about this.
When you stand in front of amirror with a mask on, what do you
see?
A curated version of yourself.
One that might look puttogether, but doesn't reflect the
full story.
Now, what happens when youtake the mask off?
You see the scars, thestruggles, the imperfections.

(04:34):
But you also see strength,resilience, and beauty.
You see all of you.
Here's the shift I want you to embrace.
The mask is not your protector.
It's your barrier.
It's the thing standingbetween you and the connection, love
and peace you crave.
Because real connectiondoesn't happen when people see your
mask.
It happens when people seeyour heart.

(04:57):
Now, I know that's scary.
Taking off the mask feelsvulnerable, like stepping into the
world without armor.
But vulnerability isn't weakness.
It's power.
It's saying, this is me, flawsand all, and I am still worthy.
Let's reframe the fear ofbeing seen.
What if, instead of fearingrejection, you started embracing
the idea that your truth willattract what's meant for you?

(05:19):
The friendships that nurtureyou, the opportunities that align
with you, the love thatcelebrates you.
And here's the most beautifulpart when you live in your truth,
you don't just liberate yourself.
You give others permission todo the same.
You become a mirror for thosearound you, reflecting what it looks
like to show up fully and unapologetically.

(05:41):
So the question isn't whathappens if they see the real me.
The question is, what happensif I never let them?
Take a moment and sit with that.
What would your life look likeif you stopped hiding and started
living in your truth?
Let me say this as plainly asI can.
You cannot live in yourpurpose while pretending to be someone

(06:04):
else.
You can't grow.
You can't thrive.
And you can't be free ifyou're hiding behind a mask.
And I know, sis, I know it's hard.
We've been taught to protectourselves, to fit in, to be what
the world expects.
But here's the truth you'vebeen avoiding.
The world doesn't need you tofit in.
The world needs you to show up.

(06:26):
I want to take a moment tounpack the three masks we often wear,
the ones that keep us fromtruly showing up as ourselves.
The mask of perfection.
This is the one that tells youyou've got to have it all together
before you're worthy ofshowing up.
You've got to look the part,act the part, play the part.
But perfection is an illusion.

(06:46):
It's a lie that keeps youstuck chasing an ideal that doesn't
exist.
Stop striving for perfect andstart embracing real.
The mask of strength.
This one's tricky.
It's the mask that makes youcarry everyone else's burdens, pretending
you're okay while you'rebreaking inside.
But strength isn't about never falling.

(07:07):
It's about being brave enoughto admit when you need help.
Take that mask off and letsomeone carry you for a change.
The mask of good enough.
This one whispers, don't standout too much.
Don't shine too bright.
Just be good enough to get by.
But let me tell you something.
You were not created to be mediocre.

(07:28):
You were made to shine.
Take off the mask of goodenough and step into your greatness.
And here's the hardest truthof all.
The masks we wear don't justprotect us from others.
They protect us from ourselves.
They keep us from facing theparts of us we're afraid to confront.
The insecurities.
The pain.

(07:48):
The fears.
But avoiding them doesn't makethem go away.
It just makes them fester.
So here's what I'm challengingyou to do.
Face yourself.
Stand in front of the mirror,metaphorically, and Literally.
And ask, who am I when no oneelse is looking?
What am I hiding?
And why?
It won't be easy.

(08:08):
The masks might feel likethey've become a part of you, like
they're stitched into your identity.
But let me remind you, you arenot your mask.
You are the person behind it.
The one with the dreams, theflaws, the brilliance, and the beauty.
Here's the thing.
Taking off the mask won'tsolve all your problems, but it will

(08:29):
solve the biggest one.
The disconnection from yourself.
And once you reconnect withwho you truly are, everything else
begins to shift.
Your relationships, yourdecisions, your energy.
It all changes when you showup as you.
So take it one step at a time.
Start by identifying the maskyou wear most often.

(08:49):
Then ask yourself, what wouldhappen if I let this go?
Maybe it's the fear of judgment.
Maybe it's the need for approval.
Whatever it is, let it go.
Because you don't need a maskto be worthy.
You were enough the moment youtook your first breath.
And the more you live in yourtruth, the more you'll realize that
your authentic self is notjust enough.

(09:10):
It's extraordinary.
Let's take a moment to pause.
You've been carrying that maskfor so long, it feels like a part
of you.
But I want you to imagine whatit would feel like to set it down,
to finally exhale, to show upin the world not as who you think
you need to be, but as who you are.
Because here's the truth.
The world doesn't need anotherversion of you.

(09:30):
It needs the real you.
The one with the cracks, thequirks, the magic that only you bring.
This week, I want you to takea bold step.
Stand in front of the mirrorand ask yourself, what mask have
I been wearing and what is itcosting me?
Be honest.
Write it down if you need to.
And then make the decision tolet it go.

(09:53):
It won't happen overnight.
Shedding a mask takes courage,patience, and grace.
But every step you take towardyour truth is a step closer to freedom.
And let me tell you, there'snothing more powerful than a person
who is fully, unapologetically themselves.
So what would your life looklike if you stopped hiding?

(10:13):
What relationships would shift?
What opportunities would open up?
What version of you couldemerge if you stopped pretending
and started living?
I want you to sit with that,reflect on it.
And when you're ready, takethat first step.
Because the only thingstanding between you and the life
you're meant to live is thecourage to take off the mask.

(10:35):
As we wrap up this episode.
I want to thank you forallowing me to pour into you today.
If this episode resonated withyou, share it with someone who needs
to hear it.
And if you haven't already,hit that subscribe button so you
don't miss your weekly sip ofhard truths and transformation.
Let's keep the tea flowing,the community growing, and the wisdom
glowing.
Until next time, keep sippingon that tea.