Are You Actually Living Life on Your Terms? 7 Uncomfortable Signs You’re Not (4 of 4)

6. Your Emotions Are Muted

You consistently respond to expectations rather than expressing your true emotions. You respond to every compliment with a smile, you tell others you’re fine even when you are breaking down inside, or pretend to enjoy things that bring you no happiness. You have become trained to have such good emotional etiquette that you have lost connection to your true feelings and don’t recognize your own emotions anymore.

When you are living for others, you are often required to push your emotions down so deep that you can forget they exist altogether. After a while, your feelings will become so used to being ignored that your internal alarm could stop sounding in the presence of poor treatment and disrespect, which is a dangerous place to be.

7. Reclaiming Your LIfe, One Step At A Time

Losing sight of your autonomy doesn’t always feel like a crisis. It can look like a dream job, a perfect relationship or a responsible routine, from the outside looking in. But if it doesn’t feel like it belongs to you, if it doesn’t light you up, then none of these signs of success are meaningful.

Reclaiming your identity starts with questioning these things and going back to a place of notificing your gut feelings. You can start small. Say no when you need to. Make decisions for yourself alone. Rewrite scripts that no longer resonate with you. And take small steps to do what you want, regardless of others’ opinions. You are the author of your life, and it is your right to create the script however you see fit.