Pressure. Power. Denial. Pretending to be someone you are not, to meet the expectations of another is a phenomenon that causes internal struggle and discontent.

It is unfortunate that pressure from friends, family, or social media is taken to heart, it seems people often feel if they don’t measure up then they are not valued. Pressure to have all of the ‘things’ the ‘good’ friends, to be funny, to be successful, beautiful, charming, go along with gossip, slam the new guy at the water cooler, don’t laugh when it was funny, laugh even though it isn’t..

The real power though..the secret is when we talk about acknowledging who we are and not who we think we should be, we are essentially talking about being true to ourselves. Possibly at the risk of not being popular.

This concept is rooted in the philosophy of authenticity, suggesting that individuals should be aware of their true selves and strive to be honest and genuine in their thoughts, actions, and decisions regardless of external pressures.

 Many of us attempt to shape ourselves into what we think society or people around us expect us to be, such as following a preconceived set of beliefs or values. Leading us to feel unfulfilled, unsatisfied, and disconnected from our true selves – we may not even understand where out discontent comes from.

Instead of trying to fit an ideal image, we should focus on understanding our desires, goals, values, and beliefs. We must accept who we are and celebrate our unique traits, which includes embracing our flaws, imperfections, and failures. The problem – this is not an easy task. To learn about onesself, to stand on your own with your opinions and your unique personality. To own it and feel confident that there is nothing wrong with it. In finding acceptance and tolerance with onesself we learn to find acceptance and tolerance with the differences in others.

The simplicity is that by acknowledging who we are, we allow ourselves to be more authentic in our relationships, communicate more efficiently, and overall lead happier and more fulfilling lives. We should strive to find our true selves and be true to them.

After all, we cannot be anyone else, so why not be the best version of ourselves?

Until next time,

Koi Monkeys