Every People Pleaser should Live by these Words
Because saying “no” doesn’t make you a bad person
I love making people happy, it makes me happy. Wanting to make people happy is not an inherently bad thing, but when it’s at the detriment of my happiness — that’s when we have a problem.
What drives someone to become a people pleaser?
I often wonder how and when I turned into a people pleaser. Looking back, it all started when I was a child. I was obsessed with pleasing my parents, making them happy and now as a twenty-seven-year-old woman, nothing has changed. I continue living life hoping to please my parents, siblings, friends, and almost anyone I encounter.
As a child, I was often rewarded for excelling academically. It made my parents happy, and I think subconsciously I was driven to excel because it made them happy and I felt more loved when I was doing well. The same was true with my teachers and even my childhood friends. I was in a clique of smart girls and to belong I had to keep up with my academics.
I think most people can self-reflect on what it is that started their people-pleasing ways. It’s often something that seems trivial and harmless but it affects us as we develop into adults.
