STEVE JOBS

Trying to please everyone causes you to miss your own joy and calling. It’s something many of us learn the hard way. At first, it can seem harmless—saying yes when you want to say no, going along with what others want, holding back your opinions just to keep the peace. You think you’re being kind, helpful, selfless. And in some ways, you are. But if you keep living that way, always bending, always adjusting, always prioritizing everyone else’s comfort over your own truth, you begin to slowly disappear from your own life. People-pleasing can wear the disguise of love, but it’s often rooted in fear. Fear of rejection, fear of conflict, fear of being misunderstood. So you mold yourself to fit other people’s expectations, trying to make everyone happy, trying to keep everyone satisfied. But the truth is, no matter how hard you try, you can’t please everyone. It’s simply not possible. And the more you try, the more you’ll start to lose pieces of yourself. Your joy starts to fade. Your voice gets quieter. Your dreams get buried under a pile of obligations that were never truly yours to carry. You were never meant to live someone else’s version of your life. You were created with a calling, with a purpose that’s unique to you. And when you spend your days constantly trying to meet the needs, demands, and opinions of everyone around you, you put that calling on hold. You delay the dreams that were placed in your heart. You miss the moments that were meant to bring you joy, not stress. You trade your fulfillment for approval that may never come, or if it does, won’t satisfy you for long.