8 Things People Don’t Realize You Do Because You Didn’t Grow Up With Strong Role Models

1. You’re independent to a fault

As a child, our role models should naturally be our parents. However, not everyone is blessed with strong or inspiring parents. Some don’t even have parents as role models. You tend to become overly independent and as a result, you mostly rely on yourself. You’ve never had the right role models growing up, so you had to become your own role model.

2. You have trust issues

Having strong role models means that they teach you all about trust and a healthy relationship. If you didn’t have an example, you become wary of who you trust. You grow up having to learn things on your own, so you end up being cynical with people in your life.

3. You overthink everything

A lack of strong role models means that you lack the confidence and self-esteem regarding your worth. You don’t know who you are and how to deal with certain things, and you tend to overthink every decision and outcome in your life.

4. You learn everything on your own

If you don’t have strong role models to get your inspiration from, you only have yourself to learn from. This means that you don’t have someone to talk to you when you get hurt or someone to remind you that it’s okay to fall down. Without strong modes, you had to learn everything on your own.

5. You don’t open up

The thing about strength is that it takes bravery to open up about your problems to others. If you had strong role models, they’ll most likely teach you all about the strength in using your emotions to let others in. Without strong role models, you think strength is not feeling anything.

6. You see love as a weakness

Love is what reveals the very best aspects of ourselves and without strong role models to teach you, love may seem like a threat rather than a strength. You see love as a distraction, disguised as pain and suffering. However, strength comes with love and every other human emotion that exists.

7. You’re harsh on yourself

Since you never had strong models to shape your character and behavior, you tend to critic yourself extremely when things don’t go your way. You grew up with independence and you refuse to accept failure and flaws in your life.

8. You’re your own best friend

With no strong models to guide you, you’re left with no one but yourself to fend for your own mess. No matter how dark your life became, you had to pick up and pieces and somehow manage to move forward amidst your pain and brokenness.