2026 Challenge
As we venture into 2026 and look forward to the upcoming retreats, I have been thinking a lot about a piece of art that was done for us and how to challenge ourselves in the new year…. The image depicts a cowboy removing his fake smiling mask to reveal tears behind it.
One thing I love about our retreats is we take away the default mask men tend to hide behind and make everyone a Troubadour for the duration of their time at our event. This starts the uncomfortable journey into the unknown and forces men to get real pretty fast. If you’re reading this and wondering why and how that is beneficial, think about the last conversation you had with a man you didn’t know well… I bet within the first few minutes one of you asked, “So what do you do for work?” Men tend to use their job to derive value and identity and it allows something to hide behind and in some cases, to create a hierarchy in social circles. We strip that away when everyone is on a level playing field as a Troubadour.
I have always valued people who show up authentically and who are not “chameleons” changing their persona to whatever group they happen to be around at the moment, wearing multiple masks throughout each day. Looking deeper, don’t we all have a little chameleon in us? Aren’t we showing on the outside what we think those who love us can handle (our masks)?
Day to day I think there is an element that we are all using our masks to portray an image that is acceptable to those who surround us and that we believe will not burden our friends, families, and co-workers. The reality is, this is a pressure and stigma we are putting on ourselves. Those who care for us and surround us want to know us and would be grateful to be brought into the truth of what our real experience looks like. It’s a gift, not a burden to allow someone to help carry the load of life.
It is truly freeing to not struggle alone and to be fully known by those around you. With that said, there are definitely appropriate levels of “known” when it comes to people like co-workers (you don’t want to end up in the HR office!).
In 2026 we at Wild Courage want to challenge each of you reading this to take off whatever mask you are wearing and let someone in. No matter who you are, what you are going through, what you have done, YOU MATTER and YOU ARE WORTHY! Give someone the gift of letting them walk with you through your storm and I promise the clouds will clear sooner than you think.
Dig deep, what are you hiding behind your mask"? If you want some help finding out, join us at our upcoming fires or retreats.
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