Taking the Mask Off... was a hard book for me to write. What started out as daily journal entries that centered around losses, regrets, family, and the beauty of nature, all written during COVID isolation but covering my entire life's experiences were now over 150 handwritten short stories contained in four 5 X 7-inch memorandum books filled in front to back. It took me six months to realize that my writings were more than simple journalling; they were therapy. Therapy that told a story of my movement from mind to heart, from being compartmentalized to being vulnerable, from seeking purpose over comfort, from moving from my name card to my calling card, from understanding that to really love someone else, you first needed to love yourself. So, I invite you to join me on part one of this non-judgmental journey representing over 65 of my short personal stories. Stories that represent someone who really had to turn the telescope of their life around and learn from each problem. Yes, I continue to be on that uphill, rocky, slippery climb from thinking with my brain to feeling with my heart, but I am improving because now instead of asking, "Why me, God?" I simply ask, "God, what are you trying to teach me?" Please join me on this journey of my stories and let's learn to be better together.