Are you tired of our unpredictable social expectations? Do you feel like you need to force yourself into a category that doesn’t fit you and makes you feel inauthentic? If this is what you’re going through, it’s time to embrace who you really are and find your path. As you progress, you’ll discover the importance of staying true to yourself. But as you find your authentic self, you’ll need to make some changes too. After all, doesn’t everything in life have challenges?
Try to prepare for your journey of self-discovery, but do it on your own time, little by little.
How Society’s Expectations Negatively Affect Us
Society began shaping us in our earliest days. Since childhood, we’ve experienced a flood of expectations of how we should be, what we should want, and how we should define success. Receiving all of these messages can be exhausting, but it can also teach us who we are.
When society tells us who to be, we often want to “fit the mold” or align ourselves closely with others, regardless of our own beliefs. We seek constant validation, so when no one tells us that we’re on the right track, we can feel empty inside.
It’s essential to recognize the social expectations that we face and their impacts on our well-being, especially in our everyday lives..
How to Find Your Authentic Self
The biggest gift we can all give ourselves is to know and understand who we are. When we know what’s within us, we can live a joyful life that validates our passions. The journey to discovering who you are is transformational and unending. You’ll see your truest self emerge, even the parts of yourself that you once refused to claim. Owning your truth is the most important piece of living an authentic life, so build a solid sense of self that allows you to both know yourself and keep evolving.
How to Conquer Defeat as You Find Yourself
When you encounter roadblocks to discovering your authentic self, like the expectations that society places on us, nurture the thought that life will change. We can’t always change all of our circumstances, but some of our problems will exit our lives organically, which will help us learn and grow. And of course, we can change our choices and behavior, which will help us lean into our true selves.
What to Remember as You Find Yourself
Social expectations come with chasing success, but living up to external expectations can be problematic. For instance, we may force ourselves to choose careers that aren’t right for us simply because they seem “important” or because we want to please our families. However, this can pull us further away from our authentic selves.
It’s also important to understand that our purpose may be separate from the paths society pushes us down. No matter what yours is or how long it takes you to walk that path, your aspirations should be your choice rather than society’s. Society puts us into narrow boxes, but we don’t need to fit neatly into them.
To become your authentic self, you should discover what matters most to you and pursue it instead of pushing yourself towards lofty ambitions that don’t align with your goals. It’s also important to not let social media influence you too heavily — it’s not an accurate depiction of reality.
When someone tries to push you off of the path to your true self, don’t listen to them. Stay open to new perspectives, but above all else, engage in the activities that make you feel most like yourself. Authenticity is one of the most important values to have in today’s world, and if you believe in yourself, you will eventually find who you truly are.
Featured Photo by Rana Sawalha on Unsplash.
