Happy for No Reason by Mandira Bedi

Author:Mandira Bedi [Bedi, Mandira]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789353057503
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Published: 2020-01-13T00:00:00+00:00

KEEPING IT REAL (OR THINGS THAT MY EIGHT-YEAR-OLD IS TEACHING ME)

‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken’—Oscar Wilde

Being in the entertainment business basically means being surrounded by masked men and women, not necessarily of the superhero kind. Authenticity and realness are rare commodities in this field—this whole world is built of dreams—and it is ever so refreshing when one occasionally bumps into a celebrity who is genuine. No masks, no pretence, no role playing, no layers . . . just an authentic human being. And why restrict it to celebrities in the first place? Authenticity is an endangered bird in the vast jungle of humanity. So when the rare specimen does show up, it is natural to be drawn to that pure radiating inner presence. And it can be unnerving too. Authenticity is a powerful thing, and when one meets somebody who is truly authentic, one can easily sense one’s own inauthenticity . . . and that is not necessarily a pleasant feeling. But it is also a healthy mirroring of sorts.

Did you know that the word ‘persona’ comes from the Latin word for theatrical mask? Very apt, especially when one looks at the ever-unfolding theatre of life. I’m tempted to quote Shakespeare from As You Like It: ‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts . . .’ Shakespeare didn’t mean it in the context of a changing persona, but these are powerful words nevertheless. We all know someone who is genuine and authentic when they are one-on-one, but become a whole different person in public or in bigger company. I have friends like that too, and I have often wondered where this comes from. This need to project a different image of oneself to others to look good or feel wanted or to come across as funny and intelligent. I try my best to not judge and, instead, try and empathize with whatever makes the person who he or she is. Insecurity would be too superficial an explanation. It runs deeper than that. Of course, insecurity is fundamental to the ego, and all these masks are nothing but the ego playing itself out like a chameleon in all its shades. But only in authenticity do we find a remedy to this contrived existence based on fitting in.

Why not choose the freedom to express the full spectrum of my personality as I am? Why go through the added effort of creating a new version of myself for every situation in my life? It’s just so damn stressful to even think about it. The mind must be reeling a mile a minute to always be on guard, to protect itself, to present a face that is not true. It’s like those times when one tells a lie and, just to maintain that lie, one has to keep lying forever. And, of course, I’ve gone through that journey myself—of protecting

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