https://www.aHappyHippie.com/books When you grow up—or live for any length of time—in an environment where your feelings are ignored, dismissed, or even punished, your mind learns a very clever survival skill: keep everyone else happy, and maybe you’ll stay safe. In those moments, saying “yes” when you really mean “no,” staying quiet when you long to speak up, or taking care of everyone else’s needs before your own isn’t weakness. It’s your inner protector stepping in. It’s a part of you that whispers, “If I can just keep the peace, maybe I won’t get hurt.” Over time, this becomes second nature. People-pleasing starts to feel like the safest way through a world that can feel harsh, unpredictable, or lonely. Sometimes, even the smallest bit of kindness—earned by putting others first—feels like a lifeline. At first, it might seem like a way to stay in control: “If I can be good enough, helpful enough, agreeable enough, maybe everything will calm down.” But the peace that people-pleasing brings is fragile. It often comes at the cost of your own voice, your own needs, your own truth. And after a while, it’s easy to lose sight of who you really are underneath all the “shoulds” and “musts.” When your sense of worth becomes tied to how others feel, it can leave you feeling hollow, exhausted, and never quite enough. That aching emptiness sometimes tries to fill itself in whatever ways it can—through overworking, perfectionism, food, alcohol, approval, attention, or constant