How To Overcome Societal (Social) Pressure.

The hall was dressed in it ceremonial attire. The lighting stood perfectly at feets apart, each in the colour delegated to it for the dinner. The flower adorning each table gave the hall a 5star glamour. The buffet stole the sight and smell of everyone as the aroma rode on the wings of air and offered no mercy to every nostrils that walked pass the bouncers in to the 100 by 50 feets hall. 

It was 13minutes 7seconds to the commencement of the graduands’ dinner party. 

Walking majestically towards the 6th table, was a dark skinned, average height, size 8 lady in her early twenties. Her shiny gold colour fitted dinner gown made even the light rays bow to it glits.

Enyo could hardly help his jaw and eyes back to their default, because they both hanged pitifully in awe of what caught their gaze.

The soundtrack the DJ launched into the atmosphere made that moment look like a suspended love scene in a Bollywood movie.

Sitting 8inches from both side of Enyo were his two closest friends since their premedical. They kept sending heeps of decisions in gestures and seemingly silent voice to him. Lucy had never been Enyo’s spec since freshman but the roaring voices of his friends in his head might pressure him to approach Lucy.

Withdrawing from the table, he paced wisely to the restroom. Resting his back on the cold tiled wall, he feast his eyes on  the man that looked much like him in the mirror, thinking of what he will do to escape the reiterating roar of his friends’ voices in his head.

Either often or once in a while, you have been pressured by someone or group of people to take some decisions because they felt it’s the best for you. Often, the intention is genuine but the question is, does it support your values, or will the consequences of your action play nice on you or your bucketlist/plans?

Regardless of your answer, you need to come to terms with the fact that soceity will always hang a bagpack of decisions on you without seeking your consent. You will be left to either drop it down, carefully screen and pick those aligned with your vision in life; or pick randomly and work with it regardless of it consequences on your goals.

 A Deeper Dive.

The story above illustrates how you can be pressured by society to make some decisions. It’s easier to say, “you are not easily pressured by people” than overcoming societal pressure practically. Enyo might have always reiterated  that Lucy wasn’t his spec  for 6 years but in the space of 5minutes after being amazed by her elegant look plus, his friends’ comments, he was already pressured to take a decision and munch it from the buffet his friend arranged.

How do you go about staying on check when the society decides to drop a mountain-weight decisions on you to pick from without considering it consequences on you?

Would you want to be free from selfguit especially when you didn’t pick from the buffet of decisions people serve you? 

 Let’s have a look at how?

1. Self-awareness.

In examples and effects of self-awereness, I explained what Self-Awareness is and in 3 major benefits of self-awareness, it’s benefits. When you have an understanding of who you are (your purpose) it saves you confusion and helps you work with principles that guides your decisions.

Self awareness also helps you focus on what you need and sponsors your priorities. Hence, the essence of self-awareness can’t be overstated as it forms one of the major requisite to overcoming social pressure. 

2. Know and Understand Your Potentials.

When you are ignorant of what you can do or achieve, you easily subscribe to anything the society lay at your feet without ensuring if it’s ideal for you. Being ignorant of your abilities can opt you into what could frustrate you in the nearest future because the pressure on you was high.

The knowledge of your potentials checks you off the list of lack of commitment, procrastination, irresponsibility, frustration, and the likes; associated with decision pressured on you by others.

3. Trust and Understand Your Process.

People will be tempted to persuade you to go with a/some decisions probably because you kept complaining about your journey. This might cause you to derail your focus to what you might hardly find fulfillment in.

Also, lack of trust for your process can attract impatience, which is a pest to your productivity, growth and success as a person. 

 Trusting your process also inspire perseverance, persistence and deligence.

Final Note.

Societal pressure is often one of the precursors to depression, wrong decisions, unfulfilled dreams and more. Overcoming it is a necessity to your  growth and success in life. 

Let’s have a look at some affirmations to help us, especially at moments where sticking to our principles seems hard due of societal pressure.

 Trust you had a great read?

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