Are you a people-pleaser? If not, good for you. Unfortunately, I think that all of us have been a people-pleaser at one point or another. For some of us, it might be part of our personality. Let me make it clear that I think it’s good to make your parents and other important adults in your life proud. Of course, it’s good to seek to have a good reputation as well. It is good to have harmonious relationships. But there’s a point when life becomes a task of pleasing others and seeking their approval. Our lives were not made to please everyone or agree with everyone.
Over time, seeking the approval of others chips the core of who you are. You forget who you are and might just try to please everyone, losing yourself in the process. One example that almost every person will have faced is not speaking up when something is wrong, or pretending you agree that with someone when you really don’t. It’s easy to get caught up in the trap of not speaking up when something is wrong. This means that we place ourselves open to ridicule and being disliked if others don’t agree with us. Yet isn’t justice and speaking up for what is right more important than whether a person likes us at that moment? It’s pointless to seek approval from everyone. I am sure that you don’t approve of everyone, so not everyone will approve of you. No matter how hard you try, it just won’t happen. I would much rather have people like me for who I am than who I am not.
The fact is, not everyone is going to like you. The only thing that matters is that you are becoming the person God created you to be and finding peace with your decisions. Dr. Seuss sums it up well: “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” A life well-lived is a valuable treasure, while the approval of others can be snatched away at any moment. Search for those people in your life who truly accept you, but also help you to grow as a person. Cherish those people who you know will still be by your side when you mess up and who love you despite your differences. No matter what, you can’t make everyone happy.
