"Embrace Your Authentic Self: A Journey to Genuine Freedom."
An invitation to gently explore the patterns that may be holding you back, release the burdens of performance, and rediscover genuine freedom. Dr. Montgomery offers compassionate guidance through resources and coaching designed to help you unveil your authentic self and live with true freedom.
Choose Your Path
Start Your Journey
Begin with a quick 10-minute assessment to discover your Mask Archetype, then explore deeper resources like the book and podcast based on your results.
The Assessment: Who Are You Beneath the Mask?
Take this 10-minute self-discovery assessment to identify your Mask Archetype™ and begin your transformative shift from I-CANT → I-WILL™.
The Book: Shattered Masks
Dive deeper into how hidden patterns shape your choices, and how faith reframes pain into purpose, use the book as a supplement to the assessment results and how you can balance your life, work, and family.
The Podcast: Let's Go Deep
Listen as real people uncover their stories, release their masks, and reclaim their power, offering valuable insights for your journey. Sign up to be a guest on the Shattered Masks: let's Go Deep Podcast.
Shattered Masks Ecosystem Revealed
The Shattered Masks Ecosystem offers a clear, three-stage journey: Revelation, Reflection, and Resistance. This path guides you from outward performance to genuine inner freedom, building understanding and agency at each step.
Revelation: Unmask Your Type
Discover which of the seven archetypes shapes your story and drives your patterns of protection through a practical self-assessment.
Reflection: Rewrite Your Story
Utilize the FIST framework (Facts, Interpretation, Stories, Truth) to understand and rewrite narratives that either bind or free you.
Resistance: Choose I-WILL
Break free from I-CANT (Inaction, Cost, Authority, Need, Trust) by choosing I-WILL. Live coaching provides tools to replace excuses with practices that build lasting follow-through.
Meet Dr. Lyman A. Montgomery
Dr. Lyman A. Montgomery is the visionary behind the Shattered Masks Ecosystem. He empowers individuals to transition from performance to genuine freedom by sharing his practical frameworks.
Drawing from years of coaching leaders, extensive corporate training experience, and his own journey from wearing masks to finding meaning, Dr. Montgomery's work uniquely blends psychology, faith, and process improvement. He offers a profound belief: true freedom comes not from fixing the mask, but from shattering it entirely.
Author of Shattered Masks
Master Black Belt in Six Sigma
Certified life and business coach
International speaker on identity and leadership
What People Are Saying
"Clarity I could feel. The mask finally had a name, and naming it gave me the power to remove it."
"I stopped managing my image and started living. The I-WILL framework changed everything for me."
"The I-WILL practice made my follow-through real. I am not just inspired. I am different."
Transform Your Approach: From Performance to Genuine Transformation. From Image to Integrity.
Discover the path to authentic transformation. The Ecosystem Guide provides practical exercises, reflection questions, and real-world applications to help you navigate all three movements of the Shattered Masks journey.
The Seven Mask Archetypes™
Each mask represents a unique way we protect ourselves from pain and seek validation. Understanding your dominant mask is the first step toward freedom. These archetypes reveal how you've learned to survive and what practices will help you truly thrive.
Performer
"My worth is what I achieve."
You tie your value to accomplishment and productivity. Rest feels like failure, and stillness makes you anxious.
Freedom practice: Rest in being, not doing.
Fixer
"If I fix it, they will love me."
You earn love by rescuing others. Your needs disappear when someone else struggles, leading to depletion and resentment.
Freedom practice: Serve without self-erasure.
Controller
"If I control it, I am safe."
You manage every detail to prevent chaos. Uncertainty feels unbearable; delegation means losing security.
Freedom practice: Trust people and process.
Guardian
"If I do not feel, I will not break."
You silence emotions to maintain strength. Logic protects you from vulnerability, but disconnection isolates.
Freedom practice: Let heart and logic speak together.
Seeker
"If I find the right place, I will belong."
You keep reinventing yourself, searching for where you fit. But the next location or identity never truly satisfies.
Freedom practice: Be rooted where you stand.
Healer
"If I am spiritual enough, I will not hurt."
You perform spirituality to escape pain. Inner work becomes another achievement instead of authentic healing.
Freedom practice: Let grace do what effort cannot.
Defender
"If I act strong, no one will see my wounds."
You project toughness to hide vulnerability. Softness feels dangerous, and tenderness means weakness.
Freedom practice: Strength through softness.
FIST: How Stories Form
The FIST framework reveals how your beliefs form, tracing the path from objective events to the stories you tell yourself. Understanding this process empowers you to rewrite your narratives.
1
Facts
Objective events, observed without commentary or emotion.
2
Interpretation
The meaning you assigned to facts, shaped by your past, wounds, and dominant mask.
3
Stories
Interpretations harden into automatic narratives, shaping your self-perception and worldview.
4
Truth
Aligning your story with reality and grace leads to freedom and authentic living.
Use FIST to question old narratives and build new ones rooted in truth.
From Excuses to Empowerment
Cultivating Authenticity Through Intentional Action
The I-CANT Cycle
I-CANT elements are excuses that create barriers, keeping you stuck in self-protective patterns, preventing intentional action.
Inaction
"I'll wait and see."
Cost
"It costs too much." Focus on loss, not gain.
Authority
"I need permission." Waiting for external validation.
Need
"I do not need this." Minimizing problems to avoid confronting them.
Trust
"I do not trust myself." Doubting your capacity for change.
Outcome: Excuses perpetuate old patterns.
The I-WILL Framework
I-WILL elements foster agency and build a foundation for sustainable change rooted in choice.
Intention
I choose my direction. Own your choices, align with values.
Worthiness
I am worthy of growth. Believe you deserve healing and fulfillment.
Integrity
I live my truth consistently. Actions align with beliefs.
Learning
I remain teachable. Stay open to feedback and new perspectives.
Leadership
I lead myself first. Take responsibility for personal growth.
Outcome: Agency, alignment, and consistent action.
Shattered Masks Podcast
Let's Go Deep
Join us for live coaching sessions, filmed and streamed online, revealing real stories and true transformation. Season one guides guests from awareness to action, focusing on their Mask Archetype and personal growth journey.
01
Preparing for the Session
Guests receive a personalized reflection based on their Mask Archetype Assessment results, guiding the conversation to highlight patterns and growth opportunities.
02
Live Coaching: From I-CANT to I-WILL
On air, we delve into the facts, interpretations, and stories (FIST) that shape beliefs. We then guide guests to transform their I-CANT excuses into empowering I-WILL practices for genuine, lasting change.
Premieres January 2026. New episodes weekly.
Ready to Go Deeper?
Continue your journey of authentic transformation with these powerful resources, designed to support you every step of the way.
Shattered Masks Book
Dive into the full exploration of the concepts, transformative frameworks, and the complete journey from performance to genuine living. Order your copy today.
Let's Go Deep Podcast
Engage with live coaching sessions, hear real stories of transformation, and connect with a supportive community. Want to be a guest? Complete short application.
Work with Dr. Montgomery
Access direct consultation, personalized coaching, and speaking engagements to accelerate your path to integrity and authentic leadership.
Watch & Transform
Introduction to Shattered Masks
Explore the core concepts of "Shattered Masks" and begin your journey towards authentic living.

Live Coaching Preview
Get a glimpse of the transformative live coaching sessions with Dr. Montgomery on the podcast.

Dr. Montgomery's Story
Learn about Dr. Montgomery's personal journey and the inspiration behind the Shattered Masks movement.

Copyright © 2026 Dr. Lyman A. Montgomery. All rights reserved.
Shattered Masks Ecosystem, Mask Archetypes, FIST Process, I-CANT Cycle, I-WILL Framework, Freedom Framework, Mask Archetype Assessment, and Mask to Meaning Map are trademarks of Dr. Lyman A. Montgomery and Focused Driven Lifestyle Coaching, LLC.