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Over the years, I’ve seen countless people-pleasers in my therapy office. But more often than not, people-pleasing wasn’t really their problem; their desire to make others happy was merely a symptom of a deeper issue. For many, the eagerness to please stems from self-worth issues. They hope that saying yes to everything asked of them will help them …

Read More about Here are 10 signs you’re a people-pleaser and why it’s bad for you

We all know the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. While this is an old adage we learn from an early age, there are a number of real-life benefits associated with the way we treat others.  Science shows that as children, we’re biologically wired to be kind and we can …

Read More about Being kind is good for your heart and reduces anxiety, according to science

As a 169-pound woman it’s not easy being the sibling of a 109-pounder who also happens to be my twin! She is my fraternal sibling, like it or not. Oh, I LOVE HER…. it’s that 4-letter word I didn’t much care for. Pick a DIET, ANY diet and I can tell you if it worked …

Read More about ‘Dieting is never easy, I don’t care how easy some make it sound. It took me 2 years because I cheated quite a bit.’

When I was 17 years old, I prepared for my A Levels in a two-year course in what is called a ‘junior college’ in my country. I also sang in the school choir and we had weekly afternoon sessions in one of the Lecture Theaters (LT). The theater was designed in the ‘paper fan’ shape …

Read More about How a near-death experience in my teens keeps me going on dark days

Let me tell you a story. This is Susannah Lung. She taught me to read and write in a single year when I was 7 years old. I’ve been looking for Susannah, hoping to thank her in person, for almost twenty years. And then she surprised me at my reading last night. I came to …

Read More about Man reunites with teacher who patiently taught him English after looking for her for 20 years

On a trip back to my old hometown, I drove out to the senior’s residence to spend some time with my Mom.  I hadn’t seen Mom in almost a year. My sisters, who have been there with her on her gradual descent into the murky fog of Alzheimer’s, warned that the visit would go hard …

Read More about I’ve read famous last words from brilliant people in history, my mom’s not exactly poetry

Dear You, Yes, You. That woman underneath the myriad disguises you wear for all the people in your life; those you care for, those who rely on you, those that think they know you. That woman who might live life differently, if only… I’ve noticed you pause in the space between breaths. I’ve caught that wistful …

Read More about Letter to the woman who feels everyone’s needs are more important than her own

The cycle has to stop. You are worthy of all the love your heart can hold. The moment that someone makes you feel otherwise, is the moment you need to say goodbye. It will be very hard, and you’ll doubt yourself many times. You’ll even feel some remorse and regret. You’ll spend a lot of …

Read More about These are the things a narcissist would want you to believe so they can keep manipulating you

Sometimes I feel like I’m not quite cool enough. Sometimes I feel like I’m just not popular enough. Sometimes I feel like I don’t fit in the same way other people do. Sometimes I feel like there is a group who maybe doesn’t really want me there. Sometimes I wonder why I wasn’t invited. Sometimes …

Read More about ‘I wonder why I wasn’t invited. I get that shrinking feeling they were talking about me.’

A past relationship that made you stronger and smarter is not a wasted one. In life, we learn from our mistakes and experiences. We continue to move forward in pursuit of happiness and becoming the best version of ourselves. So we asked our community (Positive Outlooks) what they learned from their previous relationships and below …

Read More about We asked people what is the most valuable lesson they learned from their past relationships, here are the answers

Whenever she saw me drawing, my mother would tell me to stop. ‘You’ll be nothing but a poor artist,’ she’d say. Her life was very hard. She worked in a sweatshop, so she wanted me to get a ‘real job’ when I grew up. But art was the only thing I was good at. I …

Read More about ‘Even when my mother called me a ‘poor artist’, I kept practicing. I found other teachers who believed in me.’