Tibetan monks attempting to move a large, clay Buddha discovered that it was actually a gold statue covered in clay. We too have a golden shadow---a part of ourselves we do not want to recognize, that isn't a part of the image we present to the world. The mask we wear is one of clay; it can crack and show the true self within.
We must give our attention and energy to that which creates greater aliveness. Let us understand our mask and begin chipping away at it. What is the opposite to our public persona? Look for the blessings that our unowned self has gifted us with.
We can't embrace that which we won't own. We must do this to experience wholeness. Dr. Brené Brown said, "The irony is that we disown our difficult stories to appear more whole and more acceptable. But our wholeness, even our wholeheartedness, actually depends on the integration of all of our experiences including the false."