Please pay attention to this; only you can save yourself from this situation. Living to impress others is a very dangerous disease. It is a cancer that has eaten so deeply into the bodies and minds of many people. To me, it is a major psychological challenge that many people have put themselves into. And that is why I said from the beginning that only you can save yourself from this problem, because it is indeed a major problem.
The hidden emotional cost of living for validation
Nowadays, the advent of social media has left many people unsure of themselves. They no longer understand who they are or why they do what they do. They have allowed what they see on social media to influence them so deeply that they now firmly believe they are never enough and never will be.
This terrible situation has taken so much from them that at some point, they start to think that nothing about them is valid anymore. They can no longer have full confidence in themselves or in anything they do. I have always said that the worst thing that can happen to you as a human being is not discovering yourself, finding out who you really are, and determining your mission in life.
When you fail to do all these things, you will find yourself living other people’s lives, living in a very confused world, and continuing to exist as just a shadow of yourself. You must start now to rethink. You have to embark on the journey of self-discovery now, or you will spend the rest of your life seeking others’ approval and living your own life on their terms.
The Day You Realize Approval Is Never Enough
Have you ever thought about what it means and how it feels to be that kind of man or woman who would never have a say in your life? And even if you do have a say, it will be a say that only reflects another person’s mind and wishes. Yes, because you have only succeeded in making yourself a tool in someone else’s hands. A clear example of what I’m saying is the men and women who have submitted themselves as tools in the hands of an evil politician.
Sometimes, I ask myself what could be the reason a human being would run away and completely distance themselves from their true self just to become an instrument through which another person accomplishes their mission, without considering that it could compromise their moral standards and even constitute a betrayal of their fundamental human rights and personal dignity as a human being.
The most dangerous aspect of living to impress others is that you will inevitably lose your identity. You will lose yourself to the point that you can no longer say a word and stand by it. Now you will be forced to live, continuing to live your life like a chameleon. Approval is not enough, because you would have to accept being placed wherever the approval wants to place you, or keep you, before you would gain their approval. So, leave life in your own terms. Learn to give yourself the real and honest approval you deserve.
Wearing Masks to Be Accepted
So, how long are you going to keep wearing a mask? Maybe you have to keep wearing it for the rest of your life. But you already know that pretense doesn’t last, right? Maybe you are wearing this mask now just for what you will gain, but the question, again, is: for how long?
Rest assured that one day you will be tired of life, a fake life. You will be tired of pretense, tired of letting someone else or others dictate and control your life. Let me say it again. Only you can free yourself from this bondage. No other person can do it for you.
So, how do you go about gaining your freedom? You have to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Always believe that you are enough on your own, and that who you are is good enough to earn the life you desire. Unmask yourself and come out of your shell so you can become the real you and truly discover who you are.
Even if you discover your true self and still feel you are not quite enough, remember you can keep working on yourself and become a better version of yourself. If you free yourself and discover who you really are, you will definitely have a voice. You can now speak up and still stand by your word because you now have full confidence in yourself.
The Fear of Being Judged
Being judged is inevitable. I want you to always keep this in mind in whatever you do. No matter how you live your life on this earth, you can never escape being judged. This is because wherever you find yourself in life, there are always some people who will never like or accept you. They will never see any reason to like you, regardless of how good you are to them. So, this group of people will always have a major assignment: to judge you no matter what.
Feel free to discover who you are, develop your capacity and then go ahead and live your life on your own terms. Do not mind whatever judgment that comes from anywhere. But I will not fail to remind you that you must always insist on doing the right thing, even though some people are always there to judge you, even when you do. Just go ahead and do it anyway, and still expect their baseless judgment.
Letting Go of the Need to Prove Yourself
Another major source of peace of mind is reaching a point in life when you no longer worry about what people think or how they feel about you. I say this because many people will always see and hold on to a version of you they have created for themselves, which is not the real you or the true character you are made of. So, when it comes to these types of people, trying to prove yourself is only a waste of time.
Once you realize that the people you are trying to prove yourself to are far below your level and standards, what’s the point? Always looking for a way to prove yourself is a clear indication that even you do not know your value or what you are capable of. All you need is to believe in yourself and have confidence in what you can do and achieve through diligence, focus, and determination. Then you will see that the need or urge to prove yourself will no longer exist in your mind.
Summary
Can you make a decision today to stop living to impress others? Wait, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you should live a careless and reckless life. Neither am I saying you should no longer prioritize your self-respect and personal value. I’m only saying that you can be the best version of yourself and still face negative judgment and intentional misunderstanding. When it gets to this point, be strong enough not to pay attention to such a distraction and keep being yourself.
Most importantly, embark on the journey of self-discovery if you have not yet discovered who you are.
