The I Am Project :: Everybody Likes You

happy monday, party people! hope you all had fabulous weekends. did you have exciting halloween plans? mine didn't include any halloween action, but it was pretty non-stop. i hope to be recapping several aspects of it this week. for now, yes, i am's are back! apologies for the gap. i feel like this week merits a bit of an explanation about the statement (which we actually intend to start doing more often).

it is safe to say that i have spent the majority of my life a stage 5 people pleaser. true with friendships, elders (of course), colleagues, and men i've been involved with. so much so that, in many instances, i've compromised my own wishes and opinions in order to remain as likeable as possible. it's taken years and years to overcome this deep desire to be liked. i wish i knew exactly where it came from. is that a trait you're born with or is it learned? at this point in my life - while i will always remain respectful, open-minded and professional - i'm constantly reminding myself that it's okay to take responsibility for what i need and what i want from my relationships. it's incredibly freeing to stand in your own convictions. i worry less about others' perceptions of me and more about living the way i want, knowing full and well that what i do and say will probably turn some people off. while it has never and probably will never be my intention to offend others, i'm more comfortable knowing that if it happens, it's a matter of clashing perspectives or personalities more so than something being wrong with who i am or what i want.

now i could do several posts on past relationships with men (errrr...boys, rather) as it relates to this topic, but we'll save that for another time. for now, i'll just say that it's okay to expect that you're never going to please everyone. so i say focus on the one that matters most. (that's you, btdubs.)

now, i obviously don't mean for this to be taken literally. if you're a generally likeable person, more power to you! just don't be willing to compromise yourself too much for others' sake.

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The I Am Project :: Our wish is to affirm and inspire the beauty in every woman, to celebrate the uniqueness in each of us, as well as the commonalities that unite us as women. We want to create a space to confront the dark places that come with growth; to witness women being valued for more than their bodies, clothes, or societal projections; to feel inspired by stories and images; and to become more deeply rooted in who we are as women. We want to become a net of resources that will nurture and fortify each other's confidence, and fill women with awareness of the extraordinary beauty that each of us uniquely brings to the world.

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