Perhaps at work when starting a new job. Or beginning at school where the teachers didn’t know you yet. Or as a new parent showing you were capable of looking after your child. Basically that you were up to the job of whatever needed to be done.

We all want to be valued and respected members of society, so it’s a very natural reaction to show what you are capable of. Like most things in life, it can be viewed as a good thing and also not so good if taken too far. 

If you feel that you are continuously proving yourself to someone and you are not receiving the acknowledgement that it is enough, then at some stage, you have to ask yourself is it right for you?

It can cause unnecessary stress. At some point, you can say “Well I have put in my best effort and I feel good in my self”. If it is not good enough for someone else, then that becomes the other person’s issue. Do you stop trying to prove yourself? Perhaps not, but question what it is that you are trying to show yourself and the other person.

Be conscious about what you are trying to prove and to whom. Does it make sense and is it worth the effort that you are putting into it?