While I was growing up, there was this saying I usually used to hear "If you can't beat them, then you must have to join them." This has been the reality of many young boys and girls of our generation (especially the Gen-Z). Most kids are not trained with the ability to say "No" or "Yes" when they are supposed to, and this has remained a challenge to society.
The youth of my generation are more concerned about what others might be saying or thinking about them. It's now a matter of "Do what your mates are doing else you would be left behind." Some of these kids go against their norms and beliefs just to fit into what they are not comfortable with, because they want to feel among.
I personally do not see peer pressure as a huge problem, provided am disciplined and well-trained. Instead, I see it as a tool that would help shape my mentality and mindset. I can confidently say this because I have faced a lot of peer pressures that shaped my decision making skills and influenced my behavior.
I came to realize that peer pressure can come in either a negative or positive way, depending on what the issue is all about. Succumbing to the wrong crowd could cause a long lasting effect than we could ever imagine, and I learned this the hard way.
When I was around 15 to 16 years of age, the desire and drive to blend in with my peers led me down paths that were out of my true character. This was the period I first indulged in smoking and womanizing, lol. I wanted to prove to my friends that I could be like them, and I ended up doing illegal stuffs, even though I knew, deep down that there were not right for me.
I became complacent with my academics, as I thought there was no need to attend classes, I can't be the only serious student in class. These experiences, though painful, taught me hard lessons about the power of influence and the importance of making decisions that are unique, regardless of the society is saying.
I learned my lessons through experience, and I found out that we are mainly influenced by the people we follow and those we look up to. The circle of friends we keep is what determines if our peer pressure would be negative or positive. To many people, peer pressure is uncontrollable, but the fact remains that we could be discipline enough to control the circle where the pressure is coming from.
This was when I started observing people with good ambitions and mindsets. It became a matter of doing the right thing, as I discovered some individuals are unique and uphold good moral standards regardless of pressure. I was motivated and encouraged to do the right thing. This is equally a kind of peer pressure, but this time it's for the better.
It's a good thing to know that peer pressure can equally help us improve our daily lives, but the challenge here is to discern if an influence is either a negative or a positive one. A lot of people are influenced by negative peer pressure without even being aware.
And this is where parental guidance, discipline, self-awareness, and your core values come into play. I have seen peer pressure disguised as friendship and I realize this thing is more than who you follow. It was mainly about the mindset of an individual.
I am no longer influenced by anyone because they are my friend, instead I am influenced by them because I know that my act would lead to my positive growth. I am glad that I learned to deal with peer pressure from experience, as I can now say "No" or "Yes" to anything without regrets.
One of my friends recently told me that I had changed alot, and I told him that life has happened to me. I have learned to uphold a particular standard and stand by it no matter what other people are saying, in as much as it is right in my sight and belief.
Conclusively, it's important to welcome peers who pushes us into unlocking new potentials in us. I do not only see such individuals as friends, I see them as partners in growth. Luckily for me, I have some of such friends here on the Hive blockchain, and am ever grateful I met them.
Here's my entry for day 11 of the InLeo monthly prompt, organized by 
