MSCollective — People Pleasing
I'm Not Who You Think I Am
Megan Soncksen Authenticity Conditioning Deconditioning Good Girl Conditioning Identity Mental Health People Pleasing Personas Self Discovery Women's Stories
What happens when you aren’t who everyone thinks you are? I remember back to my high school days, even though I’m sure it started before that, but high school is a conscious memory of feeling: Always be the best and never get in trouble as it would reflect badly on me and my family, reputation is everything. Interestingly, I don’t ever remember being explicitly taught this, so don’t think there is a villain in this story. No memories of my parents pressuring me to perform or be perfect. It felt more like a self-imposed standard I was always aware of...
The Good Girl
Megan Soncksen Authenticity Body Autonomy Conditioning Consent Deconditioning Good Girl Conditioning Mental Health Motherhood People Pleasing Personal Essay Raising Daughters Self Discovery Women's Stories
Do you remember a moment as a kid when you learned it’s best to be The Good Girl? I can’t pinpoint exactly when that happened for me. Maybe that’s my foggy memory of childhood, or maybe it was so subtly conditioned into me that it would be impossible to narrow the moment down to one instance? My daughter and I decided to grab supper and her pick for the night was the local small-town bar and grill. She's 9, and giving her more authority in decisions is something I've been intentional about. This is a place where most folks know...