Our humanity naturally gives us a desire to please people we have a relationship with, and sometimes, people that we don’t even know. I have been guilty, as charged, of caring deeply about what others might think about me, for the right reasons and the wrong ones. It’s so interesting that we often sacrifice what’s right, our desires, any and everything for the sake of appearances and people-pleasing.
In fact, there is something inside of us that communicates we are somehow safe in a relationship when we please others. It is a fallacy that drives children to be cruel, convinces teens to give in to peer pressure and influences adults to compromise their integrity. Ultimately that influence can also lead us to do good things if, and only if, the people persuading our decisions lead us to make decisions that are for our well-being and the well-being of others.
Ultimately, pleasing others can distract us and keep us from developing fully. That is not living to our fullest potential. I don’t want to live with those kinds of limitations.
Proverbs 29:25 NLT – “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.”
Honoring the vision, God-given purpose, and integrity are worth the risk of potential rejection. We have a responsibility in our business and life practice to stay true to our legacy-forming practices. A false sense of safety can often paralyze us, keeping us from fulfilling anything truly worth repeating.
I’m choosing to take some calculated risks.
Sincerely,
Your risk-taker
Questions for Reflection:
- If you shift from people-pleasing to vision fulfillment, what’s the worst that could happen?
- How would you change the course of your life if you stopped trying to make someone else happy?