Description

Are you exhausted from always being "the positive one," the overachiever, the helper, or the good girl—while inside you feel disconnected, resentful, or just… not yourself? In this powerful episode, Alison breaks down the 5 most common masks we wear: the Perfectionist, the Good Girl/Controller, the Helper, the Achiever, and the Toxic Positivity Keeper.

You'll learn where these masks come from (childhood conditioning, emotional disconnection, and conditional love) and how they quietly shape your self-worth, relationships, boundaries, and identity as an adult. Alison helps you name the core beliefs underneath each mask—"Something's wrong with me," "I'm bad," "I'm selfish," "I'm not enough," "My needs don't matter"—and shows you why they're survival strategies, not character flaws.

If you've ever felt like an imposter in your own life or like you're performing a version of yourself to be loved, this episode will feel like a mirror. You'll walk away with deeper self-awareness, journal prompts (in the show notes), and permission to start taking off the masks and come home to your most authentic self—slowly, gently, one layer at a time.

Hit play if you're ready to stop performing, stop people-pleasing, and finally remember who you really are.

Journal Prompts:

• Which mask do I feel myself wearing most often, and how does it show up in my daily life?
• What parts of my true self have I learned to hide, soften, or silence in order to feel loved or accepted?
• When did I first learn that being myself wasn't safe and what did I choose to become instead?
• What emotions do I avoid expressing because I fear they will be "too much" for others?
• Where in my life do I feel the biggest disconnect between who I am on the inside and how I appear on the outside?
• What beliefs about myself (e.g., "I'm too much," "I'm not enough," "My needs don't matter") still influence my choices today?
• How have these masks protected me in the past and how are they now limiting my growth, intimacy, and authenticity?
• In what relationships do I feel like I'm performing instead of being fully seen, and why?
• What does my authentic self crave that my masked self has been preventing me from experiencing?
• If I gently removed one layer of a mask this week, what small truth, need, or desire would I express?

Learn more about how you can apply The Growth Method here: https://alisoncady.com/