How hard can it be, to be me (6); depressurize societal pressure

This is the last in a series of six sidenotes, the others can be found here:
How hard can it be, to be me (1)
How hard can it be, to be me (2); dissecting the authentic life
How hard can it be, to be me (3); hypothesize
How hard can it be, to be me (4); test for authenticity
How hard can it be, to be me (5); acceptance or rejection

Now that we have found some authentic activities or goals, and we have taken the first step towards achieving them (you have taken the first step, right?). Now we have to maintain our connection to it in our everyday lives. We have to keep the connection within, and deal with the pressures from outside.

We all know what societal pressures are about. We can name examples of things we are supposed to do, or behavior that we are supposed to show, or achievements that are expected of us, careers that we are destined for, and so on. They are all aspects of what others want you to be or think you should be!

If you’re not aware of your authentic needs and wants, you are destined to react directly to this environment. Typical reactions are:

pleasing (conformist; always complying to expectations)
opposing (non-conformist; always deliberately not-complying to expectations)
apathetic (indecisive or not interested in compliance to expectations)

Reacting directly to what happens in your environment, without making a conscious decision, makes you a function of your environment. The environment then, is the most critical defining factor in defining you. Having a connection with your authentic needs and wants, makes it easier to take decisions. There’s more to it, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Being authentic is about what you want to be. If you’ve found activities or purposes that you have found to be authentic to you, you have created a foundation against these pressures. It creates an inner-reference, and creates an attitude of creation.

I’ll be returning to the subject of withstanding societal pressures a lot more. Dealing with it is the ongoing process of remaining authentic, getting there is one, staying in touch with it, is quite another.