Carpentry 101

When you remove all the paint and the stain, you’re usually left with a nice piece of wood. But sometimes when you take all the layers off, you’re left with a piece of wood that’s best left covered up. That’s how it is with most people, we wear a suit of armor. Mostly because we are afraid, but sometimes to cover up the scars. Old wounds remind us of the battles we’ve fought and survived. For some the scars are quite obvious, but for others concealer works best.
 
For those of us that bear the mental scars of bullying and abuse. The scars seem to be easy to conceal. From the outside we appear as normal as anyone else.  The armor we wear is an impenetrable force that let’s no one see the pain and hurt we carry. I myself wear an armor of humor and sharp wit. While other’s I know wear an armor of toughness and no pain. Either way they are but a hard shell that buries inside it the very thing that weighs us down. 
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I’m not here to tell you that you should expose all the scars and wounds you carry. That’s for you to decide. All I know is, the pain I carried couldn’t begin to heal until I let it go. And what I discovered was a fellow this is as honest with himself as he ever had. Armor can protect the soft spots, but it can also limit your agility and vision. Do as much as you can to free yourself of the chains that bind you. Don’t be afraid of who you are. Our experiences may shape us, but it’s our desires that make us. Don’t let your past slow you down.