03 May The Existential Toll of Self-Awareness
From cradle to grave our inner worlds are in a state of perpetual change. We arrive into a culture that implores dedication, commands perfection and demands achievement. As our lives evolve, our dreams often give way to the weight of accumulated duties, and many of us live lives wedged between an array of competing interests. Endeavours such as career success, financial prosperity, social status, familial connection and relationship satisfaction, all require constant cultivation. And the subsequent inner tension can result in an endless struggle to think well of oneself.
What Internal Conflicts Arise When Passion Meets Obligation?
One of the most difficult existential junctures we all encounter is a choice between our passion and our duty. For many of us, the dream of a fulfilling and purposeful existence, often collides with the full-frontal reality of a life mundane, one filled with an array of routine responsibilities. This inevitable trade-off is one that most of us surrender to and the slow unfurling of our faded white flags, often occurs, in lieu of support for our loved ones.
However, in the fullness of time, our sacrifices commonly come at a personal cost, a bourgeoning disconnection between our true selves and our idealised selves (who we are today, versus who we might become). Thus, our minds are drawn into a sort of perpetual comparison and foundational questions start to arise such as ‘who am I’, ‘why am I here’ and ‘where is my life heading’. This ongoing internal struggle between self and other, money and meaning, duty and passion, if left unattended, can impression our inner worlds, increase our uncertainty and leave us suspended in doubt.
In truth, such existential contemplations do not represent weakness, rather they represent frantic efforts to cope, in a complex and unpredictable world. They could also represent messages from within, warning us that our dreams no longer serve us, or simply, that we have wandered too far from our original paths.
How Can Therapy Help Us Reconnect with Ourselves?
Ultimately, therapy provides us with an opportunity to reassess and re-examine. It becomes a space for us to re-explore our values, offers us a platform to redefine what life success means, grants us the courage to break-free from social norms, introduces a moment to reconnect with the past, and gifts us the means to overcome recurring self-doubt. In a modern world, most of us desire to live more authentic and intentional lives and while change is never easy, it is often well worth the effort it requires.
How Positive Wellbeing Psychology Can Help?
At Positive Wellbeing Psychology, our psychologists in Melbourne support individuals seeking greater clarity, self-understanding, and meaning in their lives. If you’ve been searching for a psychologist in Melbourne or a psychologistmake near me, our Armadale-based clinic offers compassionate, evidence-based care tailored to your individual needs. Our psychologists provide a range of therapeutic approaches, including existential therapy Melbourne, authentic living therapy, and meaning-centered therapy, which are especially helpful for those navigating periods of transition, uncertainty, or disconnection.
Many individuals reach out to explore existential questions and mental health, enhance self-awareness and mental health, and understand the internal influences shaping their decisions, values, and emotional responses. Our warm and compassionate psychologists also provide therapy for high achievers, offering space to reflect on the gap between external success and internal fulfilment, alongside support for psychotherapy for self-discovery and therapy for self-acceptance.
In addition, our Melbourne psychologists commonly support individuals exploring the psychology of passion vs duty, assisting them in finding direction in life and taking meaningful, values-aligned steps forward. Through meaning-making in therapy, we help clients reconnect with their authentic selves and move toward a more intentional, purpose-driven life.
Author: Chris Baumgartner
Chris is a Melbourne-based male psychologist at Positive Wellbeing Psychology. Chris values authentic connection as the foundation of effective therapy. Chris brings a down-to-earth, personable approach to therapy, allowing space for humour and genuine self-expression within the therapeutic relationship.
Chris is experienced in treating trauma and how unconscious processes and early life experiences shape one’s internal working models, influencing present‑day thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. He also supports adults with anxiety, depression, burnout, performance stress, personal identity, and adjustment challenges.