Honest answer: I no longer feel as much pressure to please everyone around me. I realise that the actions and emotions of others are largely beyond my control, and I'm more capable of recognising and acting my own needs.

I now try to be decent to everyone without expecting anything in return. I've learned to read people by their actions, and to try to understand who they are on a deeper level rather than just how they present themselves.

I'm a lot more compassionate toward men than I used to be, because I understand the pressure to look 'together' all the time. I'm only competitive in very specific settings where there's mutual respect and a shared goal to improve.

In short, I'm behaving how I want to, rather than to meet any arbitrary expectation. I am becoming my own person.