Hi! I’m Ashley. And I’m a recovering people pleaser.
For the vast majority of my life I have always cared a lot about what others thought of me. I have always striven to do my best in all situations. I was and am a hard worker. I worked hard to uphold the expectations I placed on myself, while fulfilling the perceived expectations others had of me. I wanted, no needed, others to see me as polished and perfect. I needed to see myself through the same lens. Other people’s opinions colored much of how I saw myself and in turn effected my actions. If I thought someone was disappointed in me? Oh forget it! I would be beside myself until I could make up whatever I had done to upset them. Of note here: this “disappointment” could be real or imagined. I didn’t have to actually know I had let someone down. If I didn’t live up to the expectation I had set for myself, I had somehow let someone else down. Does this ring true for anyone else?
Where my people pleasers at? Where are the overachievers? The perfectionists? The do-or-diers?
How hard were you working before you got sick? Did you adjust things after you began experiencing symptoms? Are you still working too hard? Are you slave driving yourself into the ground?
To continue reading this post, head over to the Autoimmune Sister’s Blog here.
