Today let’s talk about approval seeking.
Have you ever felt like everybody had to be OK with anything you did?
A woman I was dating once said that it didn’t seem like anything I did was worthwhile until I told somebody about it, and they approved. So if I did a volunteer job at the church, or helped out with the high school kids, some part of me was framing how that would sound when I told someone about it. The act in and of itself wasn’t valid. One of the traits I carried into adulthood from growing up in an alcoholic family was constantly seeking approval for my actions. I had to start feeling OK about what I was doing, without the constant reassurance of others. It took a while, but gradually, things started to be simpler as I accepted my actions on their own merits.
Have you ever experienced needing a lot of approval?
Photo Credit
Thumbs Up by apdk @ flickr.com – Some rights reserved
Recent Dan L. Hays Articles:
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- Minute to Freedom #29: Frightened by Angry People
- Minute to Freedom #28: Helping Others
- Minute to Freedom #27: Willingness
- Minute to Freedom #26: Being Self Critical
- Minute to Freedom # 25: Honor the Intuition
- Minute to Freedom #24: Confusing Love and Pity
- Minute to Freedom #23: Unresolved Grief
- Minute to Freedom #22: Loss of Identity
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