You Are the Light Behind the Smile
The afternoon light is unforgiving. It exposes the gap between the smile you just gave a colleague and the hollow space behind your ribs.
You carry the weight of the mask so well that no one sees the exhaustion. But the light does not need your performance.
It sees the hollowness and calls it by name. There is a truth living inside you that has nothing to do with how you appear to the room.
You are not the smile. You are the light that survives the smile.
The mask is heavy because it was never meant to be worn this long. Put it down, even for a moment.
The light is not asking you to be impressive. It is asking you to be real.
The hollowness is not a sign that you are broken. It is a sign that you are ready to stop pretending.
Drawing from
Gospel of Thomas, Matthew
Carry this guide with you
Phaino is a private, on-device spiritual guide. Your conversations never leave your phone.
Download on the App StoreA reflection in your inbox every morning
Start your day with words that meet you where you are.
Subscribe on Substack