The weight of carrying the expectations of others can be overwhelming. Whether the pressure is coming from your parents, spouse, friends, boss, pastor or congregants, layering what other people want for and from you on top of what you want for and from yourself creates an impossible burden. With all the noise, you may forget what your voice even sounds like.

I see this more often than I’d like as I meet with incoming freshmen. While I can’t meet with every freshman one-on-one, I can meet with them in small groups throughout the year. This gives me a chance to stay in touch with their interests, needs, and passions, and they get to hear from me what I believe will be important for them during their time at Southeastern University.

What never ceases to amaze me is how many students carry with them the expectations of others — especially their parents. I’m not here to judge or cast blame on anyone. I believe most parents have the best of intentions in setting up their son or daughter for success. But sometimes their zealous input becomes so deafening that their children never learn to hear and trust their own voice.

If you lose your sense of self, you’ll never fully appreciate the uniqueness that is in you. Each freshman I meet possesses a certain level of genius. I’m not talking about genius in relation to some academic or scientific score. I mean the capacity to do something important and significant that will impact the world in a tangible and measurable way.

But if you don’t know how to distinguish your voice from the voices of others, you’ll end up chasing the dreams of someone else. Here are eight ways to rise above the noise:

1. Commit to consistent periods of self-reflection and prayer. You don’t have to hike to the top of a mountain and close yourself off from the world for days on end to develop the disciplines of self-reflection and prayer. You can do this in the car while you’re driving, on your morning run, or simply in the quietness of the evening before you go to sleep.

2. Ask and answer: “Why?” Motivation, intentions and expectations will reveal more than just information. Many people fancy themselves purely pragmatic when it comes to decision making, but no decision is void of emotion. The answer to this question will tell you a lot about yourself and your relationship to a situation, circumstance or person.

Recognize the difference between someone else’s unfulfilled dreams and your divine design.

3. Trust your instincts. If you quash your voice long enough, you’ll teach yourself how to suppress it. If you find you have lots of filters that leave you paralyzed with fear or lost in self-doubt, it’s an indication you haven’t learned to trust your instincts. Nothing is wasted if you learn from it — even a bad decision.

4. Give up the need to always please others. This is a tough one for the people-pleasing crowd. But if you try to please everyone, you’ll always be pulled in multiple directions. Follow God’s direction, and seek to honor Him with your life.

5. Recognize there is a plan and purpose for your life. You are not an accident. God created you for a purpose. You have talents, skills and abilities that — when combined with a heart for God — will make you a powerful agent of change.

6. Desire the self-discovery that can only come from the adventure. It’s easy to stay on the sidelines. But you will learn the most about yourself and life when you step out of your comfort zone and into the world of possibility. This is a conscious choice you must make every day.

7. Discipline yourself to recognize the difference between someone else’s unfulfilled dreams and your divine design. Stay true to God’s call and His plan for you. Don’t let the expectations, disappointments or dreams of others chart your course. Look to God for direction, and pursue the vision He gives you.

8. Say “yes” to God’s design. Life rarely forces you into a situation. You must say “yes” to God’s purpose for you before you can move forward and live a life of significance, meaning and purpose.

A friend told me once, “I want to live a life that someone else wants to write a book about.” What I think he meant was that he wanted to be true to himself and his calling. He believed living that way would inspire others to do the same. That’s the multiplying effect making the right choices can have in your life.

It’s impossible to go through life and not have an impact on the people around you. The unknown places and spaces of life is where you’ll find some of your biggest opportunities for impact. That’s where the function of choice comes into play. You must decide what kind of life you want to live and what legacy you want to leave behind.

No one else can live your life. In fact, you must say “yes” to your divine adventure — not mine or anyone else’s. You are your own person. Live into the fullness of the person God created you to be, and reach for the things that light your soul on fire. It’s the only way to avoid a zombie-like experience of wandering through the expectations of others, hoping to find yourself somewhere amid all the noise.

What do you need to say “yes” to? Whose voice has been governing your decisions? What would have to be true to live the life of your dreams? The choices you make will determine the life you live. Say “yes” to what God is calling you to do — and to the divine adventure that awaits you.