Our modern world of social media and the internet would have us believe that the only worthy people are those whose lives are exceptional in some way. In order to get noticed you have to be extreme or radical in one way or another. I hate to burst the bubble, but for most individuals, life is just plain ordinary.
In our modern day, being average is often seen as being a failure. Being an ordinary, dependable, solid individual is just not considered sensational enough. In order to prove yourself, you have to jump through impossible hoops. The amount of pressure this puts on the average person is colossal. The end result is that of constantly feeling "not good enough".
The antidote to this undue pressure is to look inward and discover your own inner compass. The drumbeat you march to needs to be your own. What are the values that drive your day to day experience? What really matters to you? What do you want to be remembered for?
In other words, focus on being authentic. Be your own person. Be true to yourself. This requires a deep level of self awareness. Who am I? What makes me tick? What pushes my buttons? Being self aware allows you to identify and name your feelings in a given situation.
Self awareness is the foundation for boundary setting. Setting limits around what you find acceptable in your personal life allows you to establish firm and appropriate boundaries. Knowing when to say "yes" and when to say "no" is empowering and engenders respect from others. It allows you to be who you are.
The focus needs to shift from being exceptional to simply being genuine and true to who you really are. This shift will lead to improved mental health and free you from constantly needing to prove yourself. Life does not need to be extraordinary to be of value.