Don't Be Disappointed

Meditating on personal addictions, I discovered that I have been ruled by a fear of disappointing others.  You hear about people's need for approval, but that saying never hit home for me...until now.  If you fear disappointing them, you'll have a need for approval.  The problem with that is you're playing into their game, and not staying true to your own path.

For most of my life, I realize I've had this fear -- particularly of my mother.  And by compromising my authentic self, it's steered me in some unpalatable situations.

During meditation, the thought, "I can be a disappointment!" came up.  As weird as that sounds, saying that out loud released a lot of burden from my shoulders...because it's a true statement.  I definitely can disappoint you...but unless you've communicated it to me, perhaps that's your problem.