 Shame is, what is shame? Everyone shame is who I am, isn't who I should be. Because if I show my true self, I won't be accepted by others. So what do we do to hide our shame? We put on this mask and this persona. Where does loneliness come from? That even when we talk to people, we still feel lonely. Why? Because they're seeing the mask and I'm behind the mask. So even if I have a million friends, they don't know me. They know the mask me. They know the persona, but they don't see me. I'm behind the glass. Look, I'm screaming for someone to notice. I'm screaming for someone to understand. I'm screaming that's water within me, but it's acidic. So to remove our mask in this group, right? To remove it. Nobody needs it. Let's put it beside us. We can pick it up for the week and these masks are useful, man. Like I got to wear one and I want to have to perform a bit and teach and do things. I have to hold myself in a certain way, of course. But there's certain points with friends. Right now, drop it. Just like you're doing Elaine, just like you're doing Michelle, Joanne, just like you're doing Orin, Garrett, Sophie. Masks aren't welcome here. Maybe that's the rule. Don't bring your mask here. Show me your pain. Let's laugh at our pain. Let's be okay with sharing what's happening. No masks needed, man. We're not performing. This isn't a stage. There's no hierarchy here. I'm holding the space, but I'm not some guru leader here. I have the Zoom account. That's what I got. So remove the mask, keep it on your desk, and let's continue to share for the next 20 minutes. Maybe someone who hasn't spoken before. This is a clip from our Saturday sessions called Meditate, Reflect, and Connect, where people who support this channel through Patreon and the Being Human podcast are invited every Saturday where I lead us through a different meditation technique and then we chat amongst ourselves and support each other in a compassionate, completely non-judgmental space. If that seems interesting to you, you can go to patreon.com. Slash Scott St. Marie and you can sign up there and I hope I get to see you this Saturday.