Sunday, November 02, 2008

People Pleasing

I didn't highlight anything in the section of people pleasing. I'm not exactly sure what that says about me.

Since nothing stood out to me on a personal level, I'll list some of the questions they ask to help you identify if you're a people pleaser. This applies to people who go beyond being nice and accommodating. It's about people whose lives are worse for it because they do it mainly out of fear of rejection.

Quotes from The Worn Out Woman by Dr. Steve Stephens and Alice Gray:

Do I work overtime to impress those around me?
Do I often say yes when I really want to say no?
Do I depend too much on compliments and affirmations to feel good?
Do I let others schedule my priorities or activities?
Do I try too hard to be nice?
Do I take criticism too personally?
Do I find it hard to be firm?
Do I feel very bad when someone is upset at me?
Do I apologize when I don't need to?
Do I bend over backward for other people, even when part of me is protesting and resentful?

I think the point of this section was to say you'll never please everyone, and trying to is an impossible and exhausting task. If you take extraordinary measures to please people and succeed, they'll expect it of you every time if not more. If the desire to please causes you to feel worn out, it's time to stop. "Remember that your physical, emotional, and spiritual health is more important than temporarily pleasing someone else....Scripture reminds us that 'our purpose is to please God, not people.'....Pleasing people can lead you astray, but pleasing God never will."

2 Comments:

  • OMG...I have always been a people pleaser too...
    always..

    I can't stand it if someone is mad at me...

    drives me insane... I always have to fix it.

    By Blogger Terri@SteelMagnolia, at Mon Nov 03, 01:08:00 PM  

  • I just thought I would comment that you are a very entertaining blogger. I happened by your blog just on a fluke, while on a pro-life rant for my myspace blog. I will have four children in February so I enjoyed reading about your life :) Thanks!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thu Nov 06, 03:32:00 PM  

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