I’ve always thought people-pleasing was part of my personality. I realized it wasn’t; it was a defense mechanism I activated every time I felt that someone didn’t like me or was going to be abandoned by someone I cared about because I didn’t know my worth. Even when I started, sustained, and sold my million-dollar business, I was still feeling like I wasn’t enough. For the past 3 years, I’ve been focusing on this feeling, healing from this feeling, and growing from it.

Sometimes the most human thing we can do is slow down, notice each other and choose empathy. We forget how powerful a kind word, a patient moment, or an honest conversation can be. In a world moving fast, humanity is the courage to care.