My dear child, I want you to know that I'm here for you. I'm so sorry you're going through this.
When I read your description of your situation, I felt so sad for you. I can't imagine how you've managed all this time, facing the world with a false face, while the real you has been hiding in the corner, afraid of being discovered.
You say you're 31 years old. I don't know when you came into this world or when you started to be conscious, but it's been enough time for you to have lived with your parents' demands on you for so many years.
I don't want to criticize your parents. They're just ordinary people who have a dream of perfection in their hearts. They're very frustrated in reality, and they pin all their hopes on you. This isn't just your parents' fault; it's something many parents experience.
They want their children to become successful, and they have high standards and strict requirements for their kids. They want their children to be highly competitive in society and able to succeed in life, and they also want to look good and feel good about themselves.
I remember a very interesting saying from a few years ago: "A stupid bird can't fly, but it lays eggs, forcing its offspring to fly hard." This funny saying shows how parents often push their kids to achieve great things.
It's so interesting how things work out, isn't it? We can look at this from two sides. For a country to be strong and a society to develop, it is precisely because of the strict requirements of most parents on their children that a large number of outstanding talents have been cultivated. So we should be grateful to parents for being strict with their children.
However, there are also a few parents who don't take into account their children's individual circumstances and try to push them too hard, which can lead to physical and mental disorders. Some children become lost in the crowd, while others even rebel. In extreme cases, some even go down the path of crime. So, education is a complicated matter. It's important to tailor your approach to your child's situation, discover their strengths, and work hard to help them achieve a healthy and happy life, as well as fulfill their social value. Just like a flower blooming alone is not as beautiful as a hundred flowers blooming together, a child who doesn't feel loved and supported is not as happy as a child who does.
I've said so much, and I promise I'm not judging your parents. I just want to encourage you to look at your parents' education of you objectively. You are not the child they wanted; you just have your own life.
I just wanted to say one more thing. You said you're not the child your parents wanted, and you're afraid they may not love you. But they love you, and they love you in the way they think is right. That's okay! It's just a difference of opinion.
How can you break free from the world you have created in your heart and let yourself fall from the pedestal to the ground? I think the moment of falling must be painful, but after the wound has healed, the feeling of returning to the ground is more down-to-earth. You are only 31 years old, and there is still a long road ahead in life. I know it can be tough, but I'm here to help. I'll give you some small advice to see if it can help you.
First, it's really important to have a good understanding of yourself. From what you've said, it seems like you feel like you're not very strong. I can see from your description that you feel like you're putting on a front and that you're not being yourself.
I can see that this is a really scary thing for you. I admire you so much for having been able to fake it for so long. It's not that you can't do it, as you say yourself. So, why not take a step back and think about your true situation? Think about what you're good at, what you can do, and what you enjoy doing. Then, you can start to work out if what others can do, you can do too.
It's so important to have a clear understanding of yourself.
2. Set yourself suitable goals. It's totally normal to have a strong sense of self-doubt, especially if you're used to demanding perfection from yourself.
Nobody's perfect, so let's not expect perfection from others. Instead, let's try to be perfect in what we do!
It's totally possible to do things without being the best, but just better. Would it be easier to shift the definition and direction of perfection?
3. I think it's a great idea for you to communicate with your parents in a frank and open way. You're an adult now, and if your parents' strict upbringing has made you so outstanding, you can be grateful for that, but you also need to have your own independent thoughts. You can't live in the shadow of your parents forever.
It's so true that everyone is an independent individual. If you'd discussed this with your parents when you were young, they probably wouldn't have taken you seriously. But I truly believe that today, at 31, you're gradually growing old together with your parents. I think that with the passage of time, their ideas will also change. If when you were young they hoped that you would become successful in the future, then now that you are 30, they may hope that you have a successful career, live a happy life, and stay healthy.
So if you chat with them now, it'll be easier to get on the same page and find a solution that suits everyone. With your parents' love and support, you'll never feel so alone.
4. Try to be true to yourself. For example, go out shopping casually dressed, without makeup, try to walk with a spring in your step, try to run on the pavement. You'll find that not many people actually care about you, and they won't look at you with strange eyes. You are just yourself, and living your own life is enough.
5. Kids, we all know that sometimes one answer just isn't enough to get rid of those pretenses. That's why we're here to tell you that you should definitely look into getting some professional help. With the right guidance, you can gradually start to untangle all those knots in your heart. You're still young, and the road ahead of you is long. You have the power to heal yourself. We really hope that all of your answers can bring you warmth and help you to heal some of the wounds in your heart.
Comments
I can totally relate to feeling like you're living up to an image rather than being yourself. It's exhausting pretending all the time, isn't it? Sometimes I wish I could just let go and be me, imperfections and all.
It sounds incredibly draining to always strive for this unattainable perfection. The pressure from our parents can really weigh us down, making us feel like we're never enough. It's important to remember that everyone has their own struggles and flaws.
The struggle of trying to meet others' expectations while losing touch with your own voice is so real. I've been there too, where agreeing with others feels safer than expressing my true thoughts. But maybe it's time to start finding our own path and letting our genuine selves shine through.
I'm sorry you've felt this way for so long. It must have been hard carrying this burden alone. The effort to maintain such a facade can take its toll. Perhaps it's time to allow yourself some grace and recognize that it's okay not to be perfect all the time.
Hearing about your princess dream and the lengths you go to uphold this idealized self breaks my heart. You don't owe anyone a perfect image; you owe yourself the freedom to be authentically you, even if it means embracing vulnerability and uncertainty.