Are You Driving Your Own Life, or Is Someone Else?
If you don't feel in control of your own life, chances are you aren't. If you feel like others (e.g. your parents, your spouse, your employer) have more influence over the decisions you make, you may not be driving your own life. It's an existential question: how do I live life on my own terms, as the driver in my own life, and how do I own responsibility for the successes (and failures) that I create?Living life for other people is living an inauthentic life. If you're trying to please others to the point that you modify the way you live your life, you'll never be able to satisfy people to the point that it matters.When we live for others (outside forces), it's always changing. People have needs that are different from ours, and they're always changing. Trying to meet the demands of others is an exercise in futility.You may be living life for others if you:1. Make decisions not on what you want, but for other people2. Work harder to please others than yourself3. Are too afraid to make decisions for yourself, or fear the outcome if you do.4. Would rather be told what to do than venture out on your own5. Constantly feel guilty, and want to be doing something else than what you are doingAnger and resentment are byproducts of not living your life for yourself. Regret also comes into play years down the line when you realize that you haven't wanted to live life on your own terms.Dealing with the fear of stepping up to take back our life from others is a big task. Usually, it involves doing some real soul searching to figure out that you're even doing it in the first place. Often times, we're disempowering ourselves and don't even know it. We're caught in the habit of making decisions about our lives unconsciously.A lot of people get hooked on following their parents' lead on decisions, because that's what we did as kids. We follow their lead, especially when there's been an overzealous parent who made the rules. As adults, we emotionally "forget" that our life can be led by ourselves, and forget to drop the obligation to other people, like a parent.If you think you're living for others', you can take back your life. You have to take a deep look at the factors that inhibit you, such as:
fear of success
fear of failure
letting people down in your life
upsetting people close to you
not believing in yourself
not having faith in your abilities
You'll feel happier and more satisfied with your own life knowing it's on your terms. It'll be yours to live, not anyone else's, and that's what characterizes a good man. If you’re interested in learning more about the Men’s counseling , or if counseling might be right for you, please feel free to contact me directly or visit our Men’s counseling page for detail.
