Teenage Life and Being Yourself
Teenage Life: We are always fond of asking ourselves especially us teenagers "will I ever fit in?". This question is ever-present in a teen`s life. Most of us define "normal" based on what we see and how we view things or ourselves in comparison to our peers.
All Teenage Life are desperate to fit in, battling peer pressure, social anxieties, and a general feeling of constant humiliation in their quest to blend in.
Being a teenager isn`t always easy. It is kind of an in-between time - you are not a kid anymore either are you an adult. It is hard trying to figure out who you are and where you fit in. Most of us are stuck in the middle of;
- Getting good grades
- Having a good relationship with friends
- Wanting your own freedom
- Parents constant prying
Belonging and Fitting-In
Fitting in is a feeling that you belong to a particular group and are accepted by that group. Nevertheless, there is a huge difference between fitting in and belonging. Belonging is a strong and deep-seated drive for all humans. We are all social humans therefore we need to feel we are part of a tribe, be it family, friends, classmates, etc. it is through this belonging we experience love, meaning, connection and purpose. Belonging is showing up and letting yourself be seen and known as you really are.
Many of us suffer from the split between whom we are and who we present to the world in order to be accepted. Belonging is a willingness to acknowledge that each of us belongs to something greater than ourselves. So acting deceitful, in order to fit in can be a pretty uncertain situation. You can end up compromising your own identity in exchange for approval from another. Belonging does not come from without, but rather it begins from within.
In as much as fitting in is also important in our society today, we should not get caught up trying to fit in and then lose our own self. Honestly, if you have to change yourself to fit in some group of friends then they are the wrong set of friends for you. Not that there is something wrong with them, they are not just the right fit for you.
Learning what makes you happy and doing it is far more important than trying to fit into someone else`s idea of happiness.
I`ve always felt the pressure to fit in where ever I find myself. There has always been a gap between what I want to be and what I think the world thinks I should be, but then I realize something l would like to share with you. `Don`t change so people will like you, be yourself and the right people will love you`.