Who are we?

When all else doesn't seem to fall in place, when the body simply doesn't want to go on though the spirit is willing, what does one do next? The demands of the day and expectations from society require of us to conform: turning us into slaves of others' desires and machinations. When do we get to really be who we want to be? Are we not just really defined in terms of other people's lenses, you know we do whatever we do because we are afraid of what others might see, say or hear? The few who are daring enough to be who they really want to be, I think are quickly termed as mad and sent to the loony bin.