Don’t let others define who you are. Rather you need to define who you are.

Unfortunately, through the years, I found it far too common for people to be so dependent on the approval of others that they lose sight of who they truly are and become mere extensions of what they think other people want them to be. We are bombarded daily from a variety of sources, be it from the media, peers, politicians, employers, employees, family or friends. The list is legion.

The results are that these people are more often in reactive mode. They react to implicit and explicit pressures placed upon them by others instead of being proactive in being true to themselves. Far too many lose sight of who they are. The thought of being true to themselves becomes too threatening.

Being true to yourself begins with recognizing when you sacrifice your sense of self in order not to upset or disappoint others. You also need to recognize that change does not come easily and is often met with resistance by others and even within yourself. However, being aware of how others attempt to influence your behavior, can open you up to taking more personal responsibility for the changes in your life that you would like to make. You must remember that in life, you need to be a master of your own destiny. Moving through the maze called the ambiguities of conflicting pulls in different directions can be overwhelming at times. This is a journey that is never complete but one that is worked on throughout life.