I’m a people-pleaser. Phew, there — I said it. Though I try more now to pave my own way, there was once a time when I followed the direction of those around me without much regard for how they made me feel. Years ago, I had a friend who constantly tore me down with the excuse of helping me to stand up for myself. I knew her reasoning was wrong, yet I did nothing to stop it. After years of working on myself, I realized that was not genuine friendship, not true support. I decided to walk away from that friendship. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done — step back from a friendship that I had been pouring my love into for years. But it was one of the most important decisions I’ve ever made.