Henry David Thoreau said, "If a person does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he or she has a different drummer. Let that person step to the music that he or she hears, however, measured or far away."
Why then, do we struggle with people pleasing? Why do we feel compelled to make everyone else happy in our lives at the expense of our own happiness and fulfillment? In my own life, I have noticed this phenomenon. In fact, I lived by this rule for many years. I didn't even know how to pursue my own interests or desires. And I was not only exhausted by trying to please everyone else--I was so unhappy with myself. And I felt unworthy and insecure.
I believe God has created and wired each of us uniquely, just as a snowflake. We each bring our own gifts to the world; we each have a unique purpose that only we can complete. Rumi said (and I paraphrase), it's as if we have been sent by a king to a faraway land to accomplish one specific task. And if we complete 100 other things yet neglect the one purpose we were tasked to do, we have failed.
When we lose sight of our designed purpose, when we start comparing ourselves and our gifts to others, we start looking for our worth in other's affirmations. We strive to prove ourselves to other people. And as Rumi expressed, we have failed to complete what God has purposed for us in this life.
It took me years to learn this principle and to begin to practice it effectively. I want to encourage you to remember that your decisions and your actions are between you and God. No one else is responsible for your life and no one else will be held accountable for what you have been given as your divine purpose.
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