How often do you work to please others while foregoing your own needs and wants?

While I’m not promoting selfishness, wait, maybe I am, well at least a little.

There’s a fine balance between wanting to get along with others and self-sacrifice, and that point of balance is different for everyone. The key is to know when you’ve given so much of yourself that you’ve forgotten to take care of yourself.

When it comes to people-pleasing, you are not alone. Almost everyone has a desire to be liked, needed, and wanted, but the question is, at what cost?

Before I go on, let me clarify that not pleasing people doesn’t make you a bad person, although those that you aren’t trying to please might tell you that you are. But that’s because you’ve made the decision to prioritize yourself over them.

When you find yourself working to please someone else, ask yourself these questions.

Why am I doing this?

What am I afraid of losing?

Why am I so concerned what they’ll think about me?

What will I lose if I do this?

Every time you choose to do something for someone else you are losing or giving away a part of your life to do so. And while there’s nothing inherently wrong in doing things for others, make sure that it’s for the right reasons. Don’t do it out of the fear that you will lose the person or that they will withhold their affection from you. Because once you begin down that road, it’s very difficult to turn back.

So, the next time you find yourself bending over backward to please someone, especially when it’s to your own detriment, stop and think about why you’re doing so. And while this might be challenging at first, just think about how much of your life you’ll back get when you stop working to please others and spend that time on yourself.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, please share it with one person you love.