How to Know When You're Being Genuine

I've always been chasing validation in its own form. How do I know when I'm being authentic versus when I'm doing something just to make someone else happy and then that'll make me happy because validates me in a sense? There's a few different things that would be involved it's certainly something that you don't just stay in your head with though like a lot of times we're in our head. You will not get clarity staying in your head there are like thousands and thousands of neurotransmitters lying through at all different times so needing for it to be in black and whiteSo journaling it forces you to take a pause rather than just immediately and instinctually saying yes or no