The Art of Walking Away from Approval

 

A soulful journal on self-worth, emotional burnout, and the peace found in letting go of people-pleasing

I am exactly not people’s pleasure — nor have I ever believed in that fragment of living life for applause. Pleasing people only leaves bruises on the soul; it teaches you how heavy it feels to smile when your spirit is tired. I’ve tried, once or twice, to dance to that tune — to earn attention, to taste a little favor in rooms where silence felt colder than rejection. But lady luck, she never rewards those who beg for belonging. She saves her blessings for the ones who stand firm, even when their voice trembles.

What unsettles me most is this truth — no matter how many bridges you build, someone will always light a match. You could pour warmth into every gesture, speak gently, hold space, and still — still — be misunderstood. It’s a cruel thing, the way sincerity can be mistaken for submission, and kindness mistaken for need.

There comes a quiet hour when the heart grows tired of proving itself. When you stop explaining your intentions, stop molding yourself into shapes that fit someone else’s comfort. You learn that peace doesn’t live in people’s approval — it grows in solitude, watered by self-respect.

And somewhere between disappointment and detachment, you find a strange calm. You stop auditioning for roles in other people’s stories. You stop chasing the echo of claps that were never meant for you. Instead, you begin to write your own — softly, slowly, truthfully.

Because in the end, it’s better to walk alone with integrity than to sit among many and lose yourself in the noise.

— from tonight’s quiet reflections 🕯️