Who impacted me the most?
Once, I was talking to my brother, and I remember he asked me about the person who had a great impact on my life. I just couldn’t answer his question because I didn’t know who impacted me the most.
Who impacted me the most? My friends, a social media influencer, or my parents? No, society has impacted me the most. As a kid, I always used to ask myself, “What will people and my other friends think?” It took me a while to understand that I should do what I want to and what I like to. Though, even now I take this question into consideration sometimes. However, it doesn’t matter much to me now.
The one who impacts you the most is the one who influences you and your decisions. For most people, it is either, their parents, friends or someone who impressed them by their work or personality. In my case, I made my decisions thinking about the society, the aunties and the uncles, sometimes, other children I know who were of my age. The impact can be positive as well as negative.
Making Decisions:
I used to make all the decisions thinking about what others will think. Yes, I know that is stupid of me but I was so afraid of being judged and not accepted. I regret all the decisions I made back then. It always felt like society was controlling my life. It took me a while to realize that.
Now, I am the master of my own life. Also, I feel it’s not just me but society has impacted everybody at a certain point in life. I may be wrong. But don’t we all make adjustments so that we could fit in the criteria of being normal and don’t we all want to be accepted and loved by everyone.
Value of Self:
It took me some time to understand my value and that we cannot please everyone around us. I don’t know how many of you have done this but, have you ever lied to someone so that nobody judges you on the basis of your truth? Have your parents exaggerated about skills you don’t possess? Why do they do that? Do they want to feel superior? Yes, maybe that is true to a certain extent; but also, they want their children and themselves to be liked by everyone.
However, its consequences can be positive as well as negative. It might either boast the child’s self-esteem or he will be compelled to question his potential.
Acceptance:
Do you ever wonder, why do we crave to be socially accepted? Why do we want to please everyone? That is because we lack self-love. The day I understood my importance and started to accept my flaws were the day I realized I was being a puppet to society.
Most of us think self-love is a selfish act. But I feel if you will love yourself only then others will be able to respect you. If you don’t know your worth, how do you expect others to know and understand your value?
It took me a while to understand society is an abstract concept and all of us, in reality, exist independently. So, help yourself first. For me, being independent is being free from the question, “What will others think?”
