𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

Have you ever felt like something’s just off in life, but you can’t quite put your finger on it? Maybe you’re doing everything “right”—working hard, meeting expectations, ticking off goals—but deep down, there’s this nagging feeling of emptiness or dissatisfaction.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. Sounds simple, right? But in a world full of expectations, societal pressures, and “𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒌𝒚𝒂 𝒌𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆,” it’s so easy to lose touch with who we really are.

Think about the classic Indian career dilemma. How many of us have seen (or been) that bright, creative kid who’s passionate about art, music, or writing, or wanting to pursue an offbeat career but ends up becoming an engineer or doctor because “𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞” or “𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭”? He spends years in a field he doesn’t love, working tirelessly, yet every morning feels heavy. Or the young woman who has always been passionate about art but buries her creativity after marriage, believing it’s “𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥.” Slowly, a part of her fades away. When you’re living someone else’s dream instead of your own, it’s like wearing shoes that don’t fit. You can walk, but it’s uncomfortable, and eventually, it hurts.

Or take the example of relationships. In our culture, marriage is often seen as the ultimate goal, especially for women. But what if you’re someone who values independence and personal growth over settling down? If you’re constantly trying to fit into the mold of the “𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐢𝐧-𝐥𝐚𝐰” or “𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞” while ignoring your own needs, it’s no wonder you feel drained and unhappy. You’re living a life that’s not yours.

Even in small ways, we often suppress our true selves. Maybe you’re the kind of person who loves dancing, but you’ve stopped because someone once said, “𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒂𝒈𝒆.” Or maybe you’re someone who craves solitude, but you force yourself to be social because “𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥.” Every time we do this, we move further away from our authentic selves, and that distance creates a void.

So, how do we fix this? Start small. 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐩, even if they seem silly or impractical. Dance in your living room, pick up that old hobby, or say no to things that don’t align with your values. Remember, your identity isn’t just about big life choices—it’s in the little things too. 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐬” – Society has many expectations: You should have a stable job, should marry by a certain age, should behave a certain way. But whose rules are these? Do they actually fit you?

And most importantly, give yourself permission to be you. In a culture that often prioritizes duty over desire, it’s not easy. The happiest people are not those who follow a “𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭” life script but those who are true to themselves. It’s like wearing a well-fitted dress—it just 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 right.

So, if you’ve been feeling lost, ask yourself: 𝑨𝒎 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝑰 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒎? If not, what’s one small step you can take today to return home to yourself?

 The closer you live to your true self, the lighter and happier you’ll feel.

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