Seeking the Support and Approval of Others

I have a bad habit of constantly seeking approval and support from others. I grew up in a very supportive home and my mother always taught me to brave and set high goals for myself. However, in my formative years, not everyone who I cared deeply about were supportive or approving of what I wanted out of life or what I sought to do. As a result, I subconsciously began making sure that everyone I ever encountered approved of what I did. This led me down the destructive path of always second guessing myself and being really insecure.

Then one day I woke up and realized that a life of second-guessing wasn't what I wanted. I read Donald Miller's A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, which is all about living out your purpose and making the story that God wrote for you come to life. One of the passages in the book hit me particularly hard:

"Fear isn't only a guide to keep us safe; it's also a manipulative emotion that can trick us into living a boring life."

When I was 17, I was living a boring life because I was always afraid of what others would think and if I would get the significant amount of approval and support for my psyche. I knew that there was a bigger purpose for my life and I shouldn't be fearful of taking the risks necessary to live out my purpose because what is best for me might not be the best for someone else.

Even though sometimes, I slip back in the "seeking out approval" abyss; I'm more cognizant of it now and take the steps to change my thinking. I make strides the necessary to make sure I accomplish all of the goals I have for right (AZ here, I come!).

Take risks. Find ways to get to "yes." Turn dreams into plans. Ultimately, it's more important to live out my purpose than running around seeking approval from others.